School District #166 of the North West Territories was granted a Proclamation Feb. 10, 1890. The name “Melrose” came from Scotland with the Currie family from that Scottish district south of Edinburgh.
There was an immediate need for a school as some of the students in the district were travelling to an established school some ways to the east.
A by-law was passed for the borrowing of $600 at not over 8% interest per annum, to be paid back in ten equal annual installments. The building was to measure 20 ft. x 28 ft. with a stone foundation, best quality lumber to be used and a brick chimney. The agreement was to build the school and two outhouses for the sum of $145.00. Bricks at that time were $1.50 per hundred. A local was hired to haul all the material from Calgary, including lumber, shingles, doors, windows, nails, paper, bricks and other materials. Transportation costs, $47.00.
A year later in Feb. 1891, another resolution was passed to replace the two outhouses that were destroyed by wind. The contract was issued for $2.50 per day to build more sturdy outhouses.
The Melrose School District was amalgamated into the Foothills School Division in 1946.
The school closed in 1955. It is worthwhile to note that this school operated for 65 years, making it one of the longest existing school in Southern Alberta. The district taxpayers received good value for the $145.00 that it cost to build the school.
Information taken from “Sodbusters to Subdivisions” a local history book of De Winton and District.