In 1922 the number ofacres, the valuation ofthe properties and the rate of school tax per $100.00 was published in the Annual Accounts of the Department of Education for the first time.

The following table indicates the acreage, valuation and the rate of tax per $100.00 in each district.

1922 No. of acres Valuation Rate of tax per $100 Lower Freetown 3883.5 $68,550 19¢ South Freetown 3396.0 $71,075 18¢ Upper Freetown 4192.0 $88,200 35¢ 1929 Lower Freetown 3822. $69,500 25¢ South Freetown 3281. $70,875 42¢ Upper Freetown 4192. $89,250 35¢

In 1962 the Provincial Government hired M.E. Lazerte to study educational finance in the Province and all matters relating to the support and improvement of education training facilities. The three Freetown Schools taught Grades I—X inclusive until 1962. That year Athena Regional High School was built in Summerside and all the pupils from Grade VII—XII in Upper Freetown, and those from IX—XII in Lower Freetown, were bused to the Athena School. Before this school was built, students wishing to take Grade XI and XII usually went to Summerside, Kensington High School or Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. Students in the South Freetown District had a choice of attending Kinkora High School or Athena Regional High School. In 1969-70 Lower Freetown students of Grade VII and VIII went to North Bedeque school by special arrangement between the schools and the Department of Education. In 1970-71 the students in these grades from Lower Freetown began attending classes in the Athena Regional High School. Students who wished to attend the Vocational School, now Holland College, were able to travel on the same bus system.

It was on 1 July 1972 that the five regional high school units in the province took over the operation and administration of all local school districts in the province.

The Freetown School districts were incorporated into Unit Two. The original plan was for one large Senior High School in the Unit. However, the Regional Districts of Kinkora and Kensington did not agree to this proposition. Three Oaks Senior High School was built near Summerside with Athena, Miscouche, and Summerside High School participating. Kinkora and Kensington managed to maintain their own high schools but students in those districts wishing to secure vocational training were bused to Summerside to Prince County Vocation High School. Students from South Freetown continued to have a choice between Kinkora and Three Oaks.

All the local district schools were closed as of July 1, 1972, and all Elementary and Junior High students in the Upper and Lower Freetown Schools were bused to Summerside. Students in the elementary grades in South Freetown were to attend classes in Kinkora, with the junior high and high school students having a choice of going to Kinkora or Summerside.

The Three School Districts

The original description of Upper Freetown School District Number 74 in Prince County is defined as follows: That is to say commencing on the Freetown Road at the west line of land of Marcus Deacon, and running thence north in said line to the North Freetown Road, thence east to the west line of land of William Reeves, thence north to the rear line of the half point lot, thence east in said line and in rear lines of JD. Schurman, Mrs. Cairns, John Cairns, Thomas Reeves, and Mrs. James Johnson to east line of said Mrs. Johnson’s land, thence south to north line of Charles Reeves’ land, thence east in said line and in north lines of David and Andrew Jardine’s land to north-east angle of Andrew Jardine’s land thence south to North Freetown Road, thence East to the angle of the road where it diverges to Norborough, thence farther east to Patrick Murphy’s east line ofland, thence south to the Freetown Road, thence west to east line of lands belonging to Simon Reeves Estate, thence south to rear line of said land, thence west along rear line of farms

to east line of land of Albert Campbell, thence south to south-east angle of said land, thence west to the road leading from South Freetown to Upper Freetown, then north by said road to the south line of lands

of Alexander Burns thence west to the west line of said land thence north to the Freetown road and thence to the place of commencement.

The description of the Lower Freetown school district has not been found. However it can be describ- ed by the use ofother districts. It is bounded on the west by the North Bedeque and Wilmot Valley School Districts on the north by the Wilmot River and Kelvin School Districts on the east by the Upper Freetown School District and in the south by the South Freetown School District and the Dunk River.

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