Summary of Halifax Board of School Commissioners material related to Africville
This page contains Board of School Commissioners (102-53) records pertaining to Africville. The Board of School Commissioners was established in 1865 and oversaw the delivery of education in the city through providing schools and teachers. From the early petitioning for a school in the 1880s, to the closure of the Africville School in 1952, the records of the Halifax Board of School Commissioners (102-53) provide evidence of the education of the children of Africville.
Meeting dates are hyperlinked to a PDF containing digitized minutes of that session. These are predominantly Board minutes (102-53-2), but also include minutes from the Committee on Teachers (102-53-4) as well as excerpts from Annual Reports (102-53-7) and correspondence (102-53-1).
While every effort has been made to make this guide as comprehensive as possible, it is not exhaustive. Some records, such as the Annual Reports, contain details on salary, school buildings, and attendance that are not included here. Complete minutes and Annual Reports are available to view in person at the Halifax Municipal Archives. There may also be relevant material in the School Sites and Building Committee records (102-53-5) that can be viewed at the Municipal Archives. Board of School Commissioners records would also be a source of valuable information regarding the general history of segregation in Halifax schools. If anyone has records of the Board of Trustees for the Africville School, the Archives would love to know.
December 4, 1865 - Board of School Commissioners
- Campbell Road School shown on City Schools list
May 1, 1866 - Board
- List of teachers includes Mr. Wright at Campbell Road School
November 12, 1866 - Board
- School Inspector report re: Campbell Road School attendance
February 11, 1867 - Board
- Letter from Mr. J Wright, teacher at Campbell Road School, re: salary
February 18, 1867 - Board
- Letter from Mr. J Wright, teacher at Campbell Road School, re: days off
March 4, 1867 - Board
- Letter of resignation from Mr. J Wright and applications to replace him
March 18, 1867 - Board
- Committee on Teachers - appointed Miss Dixon as teacher at Campbell Road School
April 28, 1867 - Board
- Miss Dixon & teacher's examination
May 20, 1867 - Board
- New teacher appointed for Campbell Rd School
June 3, 1867 - Board
- Miss Dixon to continue as teacher at Campbell Rd School
August 5, 1867 - Board
- Concerns about Miss Dixon's contract as well as schoolhouse of Campbell Rd School
October 7, 1867 - Board
- Miss Dixon notified of continued employment
October 21, 1867 - Board
- Miss Dixon's contract is only to Oct. 31; Advertise for teacher at "African school"
January 6, 1868 - Board
- Application for teacher from JT Brown at Campbell Rd School but no vacancy
January 20, 1868 - Board
- Attendance at Campbell Rd School "unsatisfactory"
March 3, 1868 - Board
- Concern over "conduct" of the Campbell Road School teacher - referred to Committee on Teachers (no records for this committee before 1875 have survived)
March 16, 1868 - Board
- Board requests Secretary to visit Campbell Rd School again and report
September 21, 1868 - Board
- Application for appointment at Campbell Rd School
October 12, 1868 - Board
- Discussion of teaching position at Campbell Rd School
October 19, 1868 - Board
- John T. Brown's performance reviewed as teacher
November 16, 1868 - Board
- Attendance of schools, including Campbell Rd School
January 2, 1869 - Board
- Inspector's report on condition of schools
February 15, 1869 - Board
- Mr Brown applied for free grant of books to be used at Campbell Road School
May 3, 1869 - Board
- Trustees of Campbell Rd School wrote the Board looking for new schoolhouse - Board cannot assist at the present time
July 5, 1869 - Board
- Inspector's report on condition of schools
December 6, 1869 - Board
- Inspector's report on condition of schools
June 20, 1870 - Board
- Discussion of "unsatisfactory condition" of Campbell Rd School
July 11, 1870 - Board
- Verbal report on Committee's conclusion re: condition of Campbell Rd School
October 26, 1870 - Board
- Note re: size of Campbell Rd School and cost of cleaning
December 12, 1870 - Board
- Annual Report for 1870
January 16, 1871 - Board
- Inspector's report on condition of schools
June 5, 1871 - Board
- Inspector's report on condition of schools (inc. attendance)
December 2, 1873 - Board
- School at Africville being taught by JT Brown
June 2, 1874 - Letterbook
- Termination of Africville school - letter sent to teacher at the school
June 3, 1874 - Board
- Supervisor of Schools report re: Campbell Rd School; motion of Supervisor to close school
1874 Annual Report
- Closure of Campbell Road School
June 2, 1875 - Board
- Letter from Africville residents asking for school; referred to Committee on Teachers
June 14, 1875 - Committee on Teachers
- Request from residents of Africville for a teacher - no action
December 2, 1875 - Board
- Petition from Africville residents re: need for school; referred to Committee on Teachers
December 7, 1875 - Committee on Teachers
- Request from residents of Africville for a teacher - no action
December 15, 1875 - Board
- Committee on Teachers - no action needed re: Africville school petition
October 17, 1876 - Committee on Teachers
- Postponement re: petition for school on Campbell Rd
December 18, 1876 - Committee on Teachers
- Petition for school on Campbell Rd - motion to look into number of potential pupils
October 14, 1878 - Committee on Teachers
- Letter requesting school in Africville - deferred
March 17, 1881 - Board
- Petition from JT Brown and others asking for school at Africville to be built; referred to Committee on Teachers
June 16, 1881 - Board
- Committee on Teachers report including reference to conference with Africville residents; some supplies and additional money for teacher's stipend recommended
October 27, 1881 - Board
- Teachers pay sheet includes addition of Africville, Caroline Byers
October 5, 1882 - Board
- Caroline Byers unable to continue working at Africville school due to ill health
October 17, 1882 - Committee on Teachers
- Subcommittee on Africville matter
October 27, 1882 - Committee on Teachers
- Matter of the school at Africville
January 4, 1883 - Board
- Petition from Africville residents asking for adequate salary for teacher at Africville school; referred to Committee on Teachers
January 15, 1883 - Committee on Teachers
- Petition from the residents of Africville on the Campbell Road asking for school privileges
January 18, 1883 - Board
- Recommendation that school be opened at Africville and Committee be authorized to hire a teacher
January 29, 1883 - Committee on Teachers
- Committee to appoint teacher to new Africville school
February 1, 1883 - Board
- Committee on Teachers recommends building of new school in Africville
February 12, 1883 - Committee on Teachers
- Proceed with erecting building for Africville school
February 15, 1883 - Board
- Committee on School Sites and Buildings to proceed with acquiring lot and building new schoolhouse in Africville
- J.W. Skerrett to be employed as teacher
March 1, 1883 - Board
- Report from the Committee on School Sites & Buildings recommending that the Board apply to City Council for land for Africville school
- Mrs. Nancy Ann Brown appointed janitor at Africville
- Announce opening of Africville School
April 5, 1883 - Board
- Letter from Provincial Building Society offering building in Africville for school
July 19, 1883 - Board
- Letter from Clerk at City Council re: land for Africville school
August 16, 1883 - Board
- New schoolhouse plans advertised for tenders.
August 30, 1883 - Board
- Recommendation for tender for Africville schoolhouse
October 4, 1883 - Board
- Skerrett, teacher at Africville school, asked for raise after obtaining Grade D license
October 15, 1883 - Committee on Teachers
- Request for raise for Skerett at Africville school
October 18, 1883 - Board
- Committee on Teachers report re: Skerrett salary
October 30, 1883 - Board
- Teacher salaries including for Africville school
December 20, 1883 - Board
- New schoolhouse at Africville formally opened "Monday last"
1883 Annual Report
- School opened in Africville after petitions from residents
October 30, 1884 - Board
- Teacher salaries including for Africville school
March 5, 1885 - Board
- Skerrett resigns from Africville school
March 19, 1885 - Board
- J.A. Smith transferred to Africville school from Albro school
June 18, 1885 - Board
- Letter from J.A. Smith reporting on condition of Africville school
October 29, 1885 - Board
- J.A. Smith salary
March 18, 1886 - Board
- Application for books for students at Africville school
September 30, 1886 - Board
- Report of School Sites and Buildings Committee, including report on Africville school
October 29, 1886 - Board
- J.A. Smith's salary reduced
December 15, 1887 - Board
- Africville school building insured
August 18, 1899 - Committee on Teachers
- Teacher wanted for Africville school
April 2, 1901 - Committee on Teachers
- Supervisor's report re: Mrs. Etter, teacher at Africville
July 2, 1901 - Committee on Teachers
- Petition from Africville residents re: continued employment of Mrs. Etter
June 2, 1903 - Committee on Teachers
- Report regarding attendance at Africville school
June 30, 1903 - Committee on Teachers
- Report on action taken regarding attendance
September 1, 1903 - Committee on Teachers
- Mr. Jemmott appointed as teacher at Africville school
1909 Annual Report
- Supervisor's report re: Africville school
October 3, 1911 - Committee on Teachers
- Residents of Africville request for evening school
November 30, 1911 - Board
- Jemmott, teacher at Africville school, salary
December 28, 1917 - Board
- Application to Board of Control for funds, including funds for Africville school
January 31, 1933 - Committee on Teachers
- Read letter Mr. M.F. Jemmott, Principal of Africville School, resigning his position to take effect at once on account of ill health
September 11, 1933 - Board
- Plans submitted for addition to Africville school
November 30, 1933 - Board
- Matter of overcrowding at Africville school
January 9, 1934 - Board
- Request to City Council for funds to enlarge Africville school
August 11, 1944- Joint Committee on Works and Board of School Commissioners meeting
- Discussion of the problem of water and sewer facilities in Africville, especially for the school.
June 30, 1950 - Board
- Recommendations from School Sites and Buildings Committee
November 2, 1951 - Board
- Report from Committee on Teachers re: study of Africville school for possibility of larger accommodations and extended facilities
November 27, 1951 - Committee on Teachers
- Possibility of providing more classroom space at Africville is still under investigation
November 30, 1951 - Board
- Report from Committee on Teachers re: increased facilities at Africville school
June 5, 1952 - Board
- Discussion of possibility of sending students from Africville schools to other city schools
July 8, 1952 - Committee on Teachers
-
Report presented from Mr. Marshall, Supervisor of Schools in regard to students from Africville schools coming into City schools
August 18, 1952 - Board
- Distribution of Africville students to other City schools
- Use of Africville School building
September 4, 1952 - Board
- Supervisor reported on transfer of Africville students to City schools
September 30, 1952 - Committee on Teachers
- Reports regarding Africville students in City schools
October 2, 1952 - Board
- Committee on Teachers report re: Africville matters "being dealt with"
July 2, 1953 - Board
- Report of School Sites and Buildings re: disposal of Africville School
1953 Annual Report
- Buses to transport Africville students to other schools due to school's closing