Fairport Harbor Exempted Village

Very little is known of the first educational opportunities in early Fairport, or Grandon, as it was first named in 1812. The earliest reference that had anything to do with Fairport schools was the enumeration of youth between the ages of four and twenty-one years residing in District No. One of Painesville Township in October of 1842. Apparently sometime before this enumeration took place, school districts were organized in Lake County. Fairport's first school was located on Third Street; it housed only one teacher, a bell of rectangular iron, and large stove in the middle of the room for heat. The first brick school building was built in 1876 and was also located on Third Street, the building currently houses the fire department and village hall. In August of 1899 the Board of Education decided to let the citizens vote on the construction of a new school. In the fall of 1903 students moved into the new building constructed on Plum Street. The high school building on Vine Street opened in September of 1921. "A grand celebration with a large parade was held the day Harding High School was dedicated. That evening, a program was given in the new auditorium, which was packed to the doors." The stadium was dedicated on a sunny day on October 3, 1931 when Fairport won over Painesville 13-6. In the spring of 1924 by resolution of the Board the names of the three Ohio presidents who died in office were given to the three schools of Fairport. The high school officially became Harding High School; the old Third Street building became the Garfield School; and the Plum Street school became McKinley School. In September 1936, Fairport broke from the County Board of Education and remains an Exempted Village School to this day. Fairport schools have always been an integral part of our community. Today we are innovating our theory and practice to insure the preservation of our traditions.