The first schoolhouse in the Aneroid district was the Indianola School No. 2704. It was a rural school about 2.5 miles southwest of the village of Aneroid. The school opened in 1911 and remained open until a small two-room schoolhouse was opened in Aneroid in 1913.
The brick building was tendered at $11,002. Carpenters received $3.00 a day and labourers $2.00 a day. It was ready for use in 1915 with four classrooms. In 1928, two additional classrooms were added to the school on the west side, which was an indication that the population was growing. With the opening of the brick school, the small two-room schoolhouse was closed.
The school served Aneroid and the local area. There was no high school students until 1919. The 1927-1928 school year was the first time grade 12 was included in the listings. As the rural population declined the one room schools began to close and students were bused to Aneroid. By 1958 there was no more rural schools in the immediate area.
Aneroid School was part of the Shaunavon School Division until 1960, when it was transferred to the Wood River School Division. Eventually, the village schools cut back on staff due to declining numbers. In the fall of 1960 the Aneroid High School students (Grade 9 to 12) were bused to Kincaid and not long after, Grade 7 and 8 joined them. The brick school closed its doors in 1997.
The school has been abandoned since 1997, but it holds memories for many people in the community. In 2020, it was sold to a couple from Calgary who sold everything to move to Saskatchewan. You can follow their adventures on multiple social platforms under the name "adventuresinaneroid," or you can visit their Facebook page here. They plan to restore the building and make it a home and a space for the community.
We have visited the Aneroid schoolhouse multiple times. We saw it before it was purchased. In 2011 and 2014, we were able to photograph the interior of the building. In 2021, we had a walkthrough with the new owners. A huge thank you to Crystal and her family for inviting us out to walk through the building and document with photography and video. We are very excited to see what you accomplish at the school, and we hope to return soon to see progress.
Photographs from 2014 and earlier.
Photographs from 2021, when the new owners took over and allowed us a tour. You can see more of their adventures and renovation at https://www.facebook.com/adventuresinaneroid/
