RAPIDAN SCHOOL HISTORICAL INFORMATION
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE RAPIDAN SCHOOL HISTORY FOLLOWS. PLEASE SEE THE PDFs OF THE TWO REUNIONS AND THE 2022 REDEDICATION FOR MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
In 1922 a new school was built in Rapidan and opened its doors in the fall. Rapidan Consolidated School was formed from four nearby country schools, the Just School, the Spring Island School, the Yaeger School, and the Rapidan Dam School. RHS was one of the few consolidated schools that offered a full four-year high school course and graduated a class the first year.
As time passed, district changes were made. For example, in fall of 1959 district boundaries were changed with Good Thunder schools. The last graduating high school class from RHS was in 1969. Consolidation with Garden City and Vernon Center in 1969 changed the classes held in Rapidan to K-6. In 1987 pairing (and later consolidation) with Lake Crystal saw decreasing classes held at Rapidan. Rapidan School closed in spring of 1992.
​After the school was closed, unsuccessful attempts were made to preserve the school as a charter school.
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The Rapidan Township Board, consisting of Rich Garman, Gene Ziegler and Jodie Johns made a valiant effort to buy the school and property for $1 or to match any bids for it. The Lake Crystal Welcome Memorial (LCMW) board did not accept their offer and instead sold it to a private party for $11,0000.00.
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The school building, bus shed and property are now privately owned by Loren Hansen. The Hansen family had converted some of the classrooms into living quarters and they occupied the school building for several years.
Reunion publications in PDF format
