Lauretta School - No. 171

     The origin of the community of Lauretta's naming is described in Geographical Places Names of Prince Edward Island, "Possibly named for a teacher, such as Lauretta Nelligan, who was teaching at DeBlois Road in 1898". 
 
     One of the first references to the Centerline School, (Lauretta School) No. 171, can be found in the 1894 Annual Report of the Prince Edward Island School Superintendent.  He indicates the school has no teacher or pupils and the following years reports the same. 
      The first school teacher of Centreline School was Adeline Arsenault, she began to teach on July 1, 1896 and taught there until June 30, 1898.  That first year W.B.*Bony* McLellan was nine years old and there were 55 students enrolled. 
     Lauretta School pupils were photographed in 1897 - Nellie (Smith) Beaeristo showed me the photograph in the mid-1980s.  She told me on that day in 1897 she and Eva Jeffery were 5 years old and not yet going to school, however, they were sent up to the school to be included in the photograph.  In the early 1980's there were two known copies of this photo, Nellie's and Bony McLellans, neither seem to have survived.
     The following is a list of known teachers who taught here during those first years:

 1896‑1898      Adeline Arsenault

 1898‑1899      Katie Hennessey

 1899‑1902      Stephen Jeffery, Class 3 license
 1902‑190?      E. Christopher

 195?‑              Shirley Barbour     

     The Lauretta School closed in the early 1950’s, students were sent to Alma School.  Lauretta School was sold to Lawrence Arsenault who lived across the road and used it as a barn.  I remember the old school being there in the late 1960's - it was demolished sometime in the early 1970's.

     I am not aware of any photographs of Lauretta school.  Below is an illustration of the school drawn by Donna (Barbour) MacPhee when a student here in the 1950's.