Lane County, Oregon

In1849, the Common School Law was passed enabling the Lane County superintendent to divide the county into school districts.  The first school district in Lane County was Pleasant Hill, which is called Lane County District 1.

The different districts were formed in various areas of the county where settlement occurred and schools were needed.  Separate school districts were established due to a lack of roads that limited travel.

Lane Education Service District (ESD) records show that over 200 districts have existed in Lane County.  Many of these were one room schools that only lasted a short time.

In 1957, the State Legislature passed a school Reorganization Act, requiring each county to further reduce the number of districts so that programs in grades 1-2 could be offered more economically.

As a result, the 16 districts which remain in Lane County today were created.   These districts contain 129 schools, of which 20 are high schools, 22 middle schools, 72 are elementary schools, and 15 are alternative schools.  These unified districts have an approximate student population of 49,000 and a teaching staff of about 2,900.

The school districts Alsea, Monroe, Tenmile, and Ward are not administered by Lane County school districts although they physically cross over into Lane County territory.

Text after:  Atlas of Lane County, James E. Meacham, Eugene, 1990

Copyright © Department of Geography, University of Oregon 1999