Grant Elementary School has a rich history.

During the gold-mining days in the 1850s, people settled in mining towns around Shasta County. The Centerville School District, comprised of schools in Horsetown, Texas Springs, and Middletown, served the educational needs of the Clear Creek Mining District. With the decline of gold mining, the need for three separate schools diminished and they were consolidated into one school. The Centerville School, located at Texas Springs and Placer Roads (now the Grange Hall), began serving the community.

During the 1880s, farmers started settling in the area. In 1885, Anto Schwegerl, grandfather and great-grandfather to the Nachreiner family, donated land for a new school. Because of its location to the west of a Mexican land grant owned by Pierson Reading, the school was named Grant School. This land was located across from what is now Olney Park Drive. It was a one-room schoolhouse (18 feet by 22 feet) with one teacher for nine grades (first through ninth).

In 1946, Centerville School had declining enrollment while Grant School was increasing its student population. It was decided to combine the schools at the Grant site, making Grant School a two-room schoolhouse.

By 1958, Grant School had 68 students and had outgrown its facilities. A new school was built which consisted of four rooms. Fundraisers organized by parents of the students helped to purchase books and supplies. The four original classrooms still exist and are in use, as well as, the kitchen (now the computer server room), the office (now the second-grade reading lab room), and the multipurpose room (now the psychologist speech room).

The District constructed a 30,000-plus square-foot middle school facility that was occupied in August 2004. In addition to regular classrooms, the architectural plans included state-of-the-art home economics, library, science, and computer classrooms, a visual and performing arts facility, and a 10,000-square-foot gymnasium. In April of 2006, the new gym was officially dedicated as the Watson Gymnasium in honor of retired Superintendent L. Robert Watson.

Today, Grant Elementary School remains a one-school district and serves 690 students in preschool through eighth grade.

The school receives outstanding support through the active involvement of parents and community members. The Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO), the School Site Council, the Sports Boosters Club, the Music Boosters Club, and the Centerville Education Foundation provide program and financial support for school activities.

The District employs a total of 70 people. Our certificated staff of 32 teachers is supported by one superintendent/principal; one assistant principal, office staff, a psychologist, two resource teachers, a school nurse, and a speech and language pathologist. In addition, our instructional and school program employs classroom instructional assistants, a librarian, daycare workers, preschool workers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians.

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