Deacon H.B. Lyman had a school in his home at the north edge of Dunlap and Mrs. Lyman was the teacher. Mr. Cornelius Dunham, father of Z.T. Dunham, living west of the river in the very early days, also had a school for his own and neighboring children, and Mr. Samuel Wright, grandfather of Vern Wright, was the teacher in that home. A School and Debating Society was started in the home of Rueben Vore in North Grove in 1861. The teacher was Miss Ellen Roberts. She started the term in a saw mill, later moved into a log-hut, and finally finished the term in Reuben Vore's new barn.
The Kellogg schoolhouse was built during the summer of 1867, and Mr. M.W. Colwell taught the first three years of school held in this building. This school had a remarkable record and it drew pupils who should have attended the school of Dunlap. This building is now a garage on the Lloyd Dougal farm.
There was also a Vining schoolhouse across the river southwest of Dunlap. It was built in 1868 by A.B. Vining and J.E. Emerson. It was composed of four posts set into the ground. There was no floor, except the earth, until when cold weather came a rough floor was added. Mary Crommie was the first teacher. The following year, 1869, a primitive schoolhouse was built near this building by the same two gentlemen. It was 12' x 16' and it consisted of 6 posts set into the ground. The posts extended above the ground 6 and 8 feet which gave the one sided roof the proper slant. The building had one window, a door hung on wooden hinges, and the earth was its floor. The furniture consisted of one chair, without a back, which was for the teacher, a board fastened to the south wall for a desk, and stakes driven into the ground with a board nailed to them for student seats. Mary Crommie was also the first teacher in this building. This was later known as the Vineland school, located near the Bob Brock farm.
In 1873 there was a school called West Side #1 built at a cost of $1,000, and located on what is known as Kenneth Sullivan's land today, across the road from Don McLean. Some of the former teachers in the early days walked from town every day. This school and West Side #2, located near Moses Miles' residence and built before 1900, were both part of the town school district.
The first school in Dunlap was conducted by a Miss Wood in the Congregational church 1867-1868. The first Public School was started in the autumn of 1868 by Horace McKenney, a distant cousin of Archie McKenney, in a vacant store building owned by Haas and Brandon. This building stood where the City Hall and the car lots are now. Two maple trees (one of which remained until a few years ago) shaded the north entrance of this building. In July, 1868, an Independent school district, of twelve sections, was formed, including the plat of Dunlap. The first school board of Dunlap was made up of J. Williams, President; J. Whiteley, T. Whiteley, S. Tarklington, George Swartz, L.F. Coldren, Sec.; and H.B. Lyman, Treasurer. In June, 1869, the district bonded itself for $4,000, for the purpose of erecting their first schoolhouse, which was a two-story frame structure built on lots 1 and 2 of block 25, which is now the property of Mrs. Luther Rannells. Mr. Ostram succeeded Mr. McKenney and he was principal when the school was moved in 1870 from the store building into this new frame structure.
After four years as principal he was followed by a Mr. Green, who held the position about two months, and the term was completed by Mrs. M.P. Brace. Then Mr. George Massey was elected Superintendent for five years, and it was during his regime that the public schools were divided into individual grades. Mr. Robinson and Mr. A. J. Sabin followed for one year terms.
In 1880 the two-story frame schoolhouse was sold to the Catholic Society for $200. They moved the building on a lot west of the Catholic church and conducted a Parochial school in it until 1915, after which time it was remodeled for a dwelling. This became the home of the Jack Dwyer family.
In March, 1920, the Public Schools from the Lincoln and the High School building were moved into the new $80,000 3-story brick edifice standing on block 55, just east of the old High School building, and facing Iowa Street. On the street level was a gymnasium 40 x 70. At the east end of the gym was a large extension stage, and on the south end of the basement were for the Manual Training Department and three rooms on the east end for the Home Economics Department. On the balcony level were the office, and rooms for teaching the grades from 1 to 5 inclusive. On the upper floor were two large assembly rooms for a Junior and a Senior High School, besides one library room, one science room, and six other rooms for the purpose of teaching the classes from the two assembly rooms. The Commercial Department occupied the two northwest rooms on this floor.
The first trip of a school bus was made in September of 1920, and was west of Dunlap when West Side #1 was closed. The driver of the horse-drawn bus was Grant Hart. Sometimes, it was necessary to put four horses to pulling the bus when the roads were bad. For the first couple of weeks, the temporary bus was a three-seated buggy without a top, which may at one time have been the property of a Dunlap undertaker. The first bus which was ordered had not arrived yet. It had a very simple, oil-cloth-like material for the top, completely enclosed. It looked more like a hearse, and moved about that speed in hauling somewhat unwilling pupils, complete with lunch buckets to school. The second bus a few years later actually had windows that could be lowered. In the winter a portable small kerosene burner provided a small amount of heat, but the smoke and fumes from it were much worse than the cold. It is thought that the horse-drawn bus never missed a trip due to bad weather or roads. The bus was usually accompanied by a pack of Grant's hunting dogs. Tales of early day Indians told by Grant Hart are still remembered by the former riders. A motorized bus replaced this in September, 1930, and was used for several years.
In 1931, Mrs. D.V. Moore was elected as the first woman member of the school board. In 1951 the lunch program was started upstairs in the Òold buildingÓ and in 1953 school bus routes were established.
Reorganization was voted on in 1957, and July 1, 1958, The Dunlap Public School became the Dunlap Community School. The first board was Edgar Rannells, President, and Phil Gambs, Leonard Bolton, Lloyd Dougal and Edward Houston, with Leonard Thompson as Superintendent, C.C. Gage Treasurer, and Ethel Ploth Secretary. Soon a bond issue for $395,000 was passed and a new building was added. The old gym was converted into a kitchen, cafeteria and 3 classrooms. The old two story brick building was torn down in 1961 and the new facilities were used that fall. The Dally property was purchased in 1962 for added playground area.
The present board [1967] is composed of Phil Gambs President, Leonard Bolton, Lloyd Dougal, Robert Mitchell, and Arnold Casperson, with Lyle E. Reed as Superintendent, Harry Ploth, Secretary, and Mrs. Barbara Stewart, Treasurer.