The Bledsoe County School System sprouted 100 years ago when the old Lafayette Academy was purchased by Bledsoe County in February of 1911. The Lafayette Academy was located on the same site as the former Pikeville Elementary School and was quickly converted from an academy to a K-12 school to serve the children of Bledsoe County and town of Pikeville. Students have filtered through various school buildings throughout the last 100 years, many of them began as one-room schools, complete with coal stoves, lard bucket lunches, and log benches for seating. These small one-room schools were scattered across the entire county, serving the students located nearby and working diligently to get in all the skills necessary before the children had to start working in the gardens and fields, helping the family to make ends meet. Even the youngest of children had chores to do, making school secondary to survival.
Transportation was a rare luxury during those early educational years. It wasn't until the late thirties that buses began to operate on the dirt and gravel roads in Bledsoe County. When that happened, many of the smaller schools began to close, transporting the children to town to attend in, what we now call, the old Bledsoe County High School. It wasn't just a high school in the late 30's, it served students of all ages.
In the 1950's-60's, new elementary schools were built on the mountains and in the county seat that incorporated all of the remaining small schools around. Education became more formal, school sports became increasingly popular, and education flourished. At the turn of the century, the first middle school evolved here to serve 6th-8th grade students. As the years have ticked along, thousands of children have received their education within the walls of the Bledsoe County School System. Many have gone on to further their education in secondary school, becoming lawyers, physicians, business owners, farmers, performers, etc., there are no limitations as to the future of the children who graduate from the Bledsoe County School System. Through various grant funds, we currently offer some of the best technologies available to the 21st century student. Many handheld devices are available for our students, wireless Internet access filters through the air, and virtual classes are on the horizon. All Bledsoe County students have the same opportunities as those in the larger school system, but have the personal interaction with teachers who know them by name and have a genuine concern for their success. The sky is the limit for today's student in Bledsoe County!
