A Brief History of Vernon Schools

The history of Vernon High School goes back to 1872 when the citizens in and around Vernon began raising money to build a school. In 1876, local resident Mr. Roche donated two acres of land and the county board contracted to build a school for $1000. The school was completed in 1877. The two-room school was located in an area near the present Methodist Church and the first two teachers were John D. King and Milbrea Brock.

A fire took the school in 1905 and it was replaced with a four-room building. Around 1920, a two-story building was erected and housed the elementary grades and the first high school. The class of 1929 was the first graduating class of Vernon High School.

The next Vernon High School was begun in 1931, and graduated its first class in 1932. Many additions were made to the school through the years and the school housed grades kindergarten through twelfth grades. In 1968, a new elementary school was built on the east side of Vernon and grades K-5 were transferred there.

In the fall of 2006, students began school in a new facility. Located on Moss Hill Road, the new Vernon High School is a modern facility with wireless computer networking, new computers, larger classrooms and an auditorium that can seat over 325 people.

Former Vernon High School principals were:

Mrs. Rhea
R. H. Poston
J. Ray Summers
L. Ross Cox
Jay Williams
Mercer Cox
Ralph Upton
Hugh Brock (1945-46)
Henry F. Ayers (1947-50)
Wilson Roberts (1950-56)
Archie Hutchison (1956-66)
Kelly Brock (1966-67)
Sam Mitchell (1967-77)
Jerry Tyre (1977-89)
Louis Goodman (1989-1990)
Ruth McCrary (1990-1995)
Howard Riley (1995-1998)
James W. Lee (1998-2005)

Dr. Bobbie Dawson (2005-2008)

Ruth McCrary (2008-present)