Public schools--Florida--Osceola County--History

The purpose of this study was to research the historical circumstances involved with the establishment, growth, development, and administration of public education in Osceola County, Florida, from 1987 to 1927. This chronological study was divided into periods which highlight key historical events. The historical periods are as follows: 1822-1886. Territorial and early statehood education, and education in geographic Osceola County before separation from Orange and Brevard Counties. This section includes the legal foundation for education found in the Florida Constitution of 1868. 1887-1914. Early historical development through 1915 when Superintendent N. J. Sears resigned to become a State Representative. 1915-1927. The challenges associated with World War I, providing for the growth of the Twenties, and the development of the major elements of a school system through the passing of the State Constitutional Amendment allowing the Legislature to directly appropriate money for schools. The geographical area of Osceola County was originally part of Orange and Brevard Counties. The County was established on May 12, 1887, by Section 7, Chapter 3768 of the Acts of 1887, Laws of Florida. State Senator J. Milton Bryan, an Orange County Senator who lived in Kissimmee, was credited with this legislation. The County's northern boundary was approximately one-fifth of the distance between Kissimmee and Orlando and its southern boundary extended to Lake Okeechobee. In 1917, Okeechobee County was formed from parts of Osceola and St. Lucie Counties, decreasing the size of Osceola County to 954,880 acres (1,480 square miles of land surface). The resulting Osceola County is today the sixth largest county in area in the state. By 1927, school population (ages 6-21) reached 3,378, a substantial increase from 815 in 1887. Educational categories studied in this dissertation include: educational funding, school sites and facilities, recruitment and qualifications of teachers, teaching conditions, curriculum development and Negro education. The hypothesis was: The Osceola County School District has satisfied the educational challenges of providing for student needs since its beginning, during periods of significant growth and demographic changes. The hypothesis was tested by examining each category to determine if the preponderance of evidence indicated that the districts' needs had been satisfied. In summary, the overall purpose of this study was to provide the first documentation of the development of public education in Osceola County, Florida, from 1887 to 1927.