District 38 was approved on April 26, 1882. The school was located 1 ½ miles east of Highway 75 on County Road 11. It was known as Prairie View School. At first it was just a one-room school. According to records from 1888, there was a fall term from September to the middle of December. Then there was a spring term from April to June. One year a spring and summer term was held until July 27. Children of all ages attended. Some were 17 and 18 years old. The school was replaced by a new one in the summer of 1919. The old one was moved to Sam Quam’s farm just southwest of the school’s location and he used the building for a kitchen.
The new school house built in 1919 had two rooms, with two teachers hired with the lower grades in one room and the upper grades in the other. The two rooms were only used one year and the two sisters, Lila and Irene Steven taught. Later the one room was used for a playroom. The school had a full basement which was used as a playroom and storage room for coal and wood. The teacher hired on July 1888 was A.B. Cummings who received $15 a month. The wages gradually went up and when the school closed in 1955, Miss Barbara Doty of Tyler was the teacher. She received $243.90 a month as was paid on the 12 month basis. In 1918 there were 39 pupils. On December of 1947, the Southwest Coop Electric installed the lights. The lights were turned on about 7:30 one evening, just in time for the Christmas program.
In 1955 the school closed, with most farmers voting to send their children to Verdi. On August 29, 1961 the school house was moved to Verdi. The cost of moving it was $1400.00. As of 2011, the building was still in Verdi. In the 1984 Pipestone County History Book, it is mentioned that the well and pump were still at the original location.
Information about country schools in Pipestone County can be found at the county’s museum. This is a small container just holding a log, so bring your own writing tool. A TOTT may also be needed.