“Patti Bartlett said, sitting at her desk in the ‘big room’ of the Ovando schoolhouse, ‘This is the center of Ovando.'”
Ovando School marked its 100th anniversary this year. Starting as a one-room school in 1924, it has expanded over the years to include more space and recreational areas, yet it continues to serve as a pillar of the Ovando community.
“You don’t find that in bigger schools,” Bartlett commented, referring to the sense of community present at Ovando. She is one of the school’s two teachers, instructing students from fourth to eighth grade.
To celebrate the centenary earlier this month, a few hundred individuals came together, bringing along numerous photos of past school classes dating back to the early 1900s, unearthed from storage bins and attic boxes.
Barb McNally, who runs the Brand Bar Museum in Ovando, is passionate about preserving the town’s history. She mentioned the various small schoolhouses scattered around the Upper Blackfoot River area, which eventually merged with Ovando.
Originally, Ovando School was a one-room schoolhouse with a single teacher educating a handful of students. While the original schoolhouse was built in 1884, the current structure was erected in 1924.
McNally highlighted the importance of historical newspapers in gathering information about the school, such as a 1999 article from the Silver State Post in Deer Lodge, which covered Ovando School’s expansion project.
Memorabilia from the school will be on display at the museum for a few months, with McNally encouraging people to contribute photos and information to enhance the school’s historical timeline.
Over the past century, Ovando School has undergone renovations and expansions, boasting large recreational spaces, classrooms, and a gym that also serves as a community hub for various events.
Teachers like Bartlett and Andrea Tougas take advantage of the school’s outdoor proximity to provide unique learning experiences for students, such as field trips and hands-on projects.
Students actively participate in school events and community projects, fostering a strong sense of community that has remained steadfast for generations.
Tougas developed a project that incorporated Ovando’s history into art installations scattered throughout the town, serving as a testament to the school and town’s enduring legacy.
Reflecting on the school’s recent anniversary celebration, Tougas expressed admiration for the continuous support and enthusiasm from the community towards education, a tradition upheld for a century.
Zoë Buchli is the education reporter for the Missoulian.
