Before 1883, there were some private schools financed by subscriptions and tuition, but in June of that year, a "school meeting" was called and a joint stock company was formed with a capital stock of $2,500 for the purpose of erecting a school building. J. Waggoner was elected to take charge of the school, which was to be known as Temple Academy. Before the building was completed, however, the town held an election and the vote was unanimous in favor of assuming the complete control of the schools. A special tax was voted and on December 26th, 1883, the school building was purchased from a stock company for $4,392.27. This first Temple school building was a barn-like structure located on Main Street and Downs Avenue. Professor J. Waggoner was elected as the first principal. It remains interesting to note the frequent turnover in management of schools between 1884 and 1893. The seven men elected during this period were B.M. Howard, E.I. Hall, J.E. Murray, J.A. Patton, E.P. Tarrant, W.T. Hammer, and J.E. Blair. Despite the frequent changes in management, the scholastic population grew so rapidly that in 1889, a two-story wing was added. Also in 1889, the school received affiliation with the University of Texas, leading to the first graduation class to receive diplomas in 1890. The Class of 1890 consisted of three graduates -- Alice Robbins, Kate Sloan, and Ray Wilcox.