Monroe County Student Records Index (1908-1973)
This database is an index of School Censuses and Student Records filed in Monroe County schools between 1908 and 1973. Most of the records are from rural and village schools. However, some records are included from Sparta and Tomah City schools. School Censuses and Student Records can be useful tools to learn an individual’s birthdate, residence, siblings, schools attended, and parent or guardian when otherwise not available.
School Censuses were taken at the end of each school year throughout the early to mid-1900s. Information recorded for “children between 4 and 20 years” in that district includes name, age, date of birth, parent name, address and gender. School information recorded within the school census form includes school name, district number, township name, key school board members, and any teachers. Teacher names from the School Censuses are searchable within this index. Currently, eleven years of censuses are indexed here (1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1950, and 1955). The School Censuses included within this index are almost exclusively for the rural and village schools in Monroe County.
Individual Rural School Student Records were compiled for students born between approximately 1928 and 1963. While not complete for every record, the information recorded may include student name, date of birth, place of birth, parent name and occupation, nationality of parents, address, student grades, class year (for 8th grade graduation), schools attended and when, and teachers.
Similarly, Individual Sparta City Grade School Student Records were compiled for students born between approximately 1895 and 1966. There are also some Sparta High School Student Records from 1900 to the mid-1920s. These records contain much of the same information as the Rural School Student Records. There are some gaps in this record collection, so not every Sparta Grade School or High School student will appear. Additionally, there are some student records for individuals who only attended a single or partial year of school, such as Kindergarten, before transferring to another school.
Record Copy Service:
The Monroe County Local History Room will provide a copy of the School Census or Student Record page listing the information of a given individual for a nominal fee ($5.00 per record). Simply click on "Get Copy of Record" and the name of the person for whom you are requesting a School Census or Student Record will be added to the "shopping cart".
Monroe County High School Graduate Index (1877-2022, non-inclusive)
This database is an index of Monroe County high school graduates featured in Monroe County high school yearbooks. Researchers can search the index to discover if a family member graduated from a Monroe County school and even request a photograph of that student (when available). The first Sparta High School yearbook in our collection in which graduate photos were published is the 1901 edition, Tomah High School in 1912, Cashton High School in 1922, Wilton High School in 1949, and Ontario High School in 1939. Graduates are still listed even if photos were not published for them. Graduate photos do appear in yearbooks after 1980 but cannot be ordered at this time. Indexing the yearbook collection is an ongoing project. At this time, the index contains graduate names from the following schools and years:
- Brookwood High School: 1961-2022 (some years missing)
- Cashton High School: 1901-1922 (with photos beginning in 1922), 1941, 1954-2018 (some years missing)
- Kendall High School: 1956-1959
- Norwalk High School: 1940-1959 (some years missing)
- Ontario High School: 1903-1914, 1939-1951 (with photos beginning in 1939; some years missing)
- Royall High School: 1967-1991 (some years missing)
- Sparta High School: 1877-2022 (with photos beginning in 1901; some years missing)
- Tomah High School: 1912-2003 (some years missing)
- Wilton High School: 1891-1963 (with photos beginning in 1949; some years missing)
Record Copy Service:
The Monroe County Local History Room will provide a copy of an individual’s yearbook photo for a nominal fee ($3.00 per record). Simply click on "Get copy of yearbook photo" and the name of the person for whom you are requesting a yearbook photo will be added to the "shopping cart."