Dutton/Brady Public Schools

The following historical timeline provides a detailed description of schooling in the town of Dutton.

1913

Fewer than twenty youngsters were in attendance when the first school bell rang in 1910. Dutton’s first bonded school was a grade school on the north side of the school block. It became necessary to enlarge the system due to enrollment. A bond was passed for $3,000 to build a new school. No high school existed during the construction of the first bonded school. 

1918

This building was replaced in 1918 by a two-story building facing Main Street on the south side of the school block. A gym was added to the building in 1929. Beginning in 1926, a four-year curriculum was phased into daily instruction.

1936

The two-story portion of the bonded school burned down in 1937 but was soon rebuilt. A building was erected as the high school in 1936, which stood on the block's west side.

1955

A new high school/junior high was built in 1955 on the north side of town. In contrast to the first bonded school, the cost was significantly higher at $384,000. After the move into this new building, elementary classes moved into the old high school. The old elementary was torn down after years of being used as a community center for various social activities.

1972

The elementary classes moved into the present school building, also on the north side of town, in 1972. The former high school building became the American Legion Hall.

The Consolidation Years (2005-2008)

With dwindling numbers, the Dutton Cardinals decided to form the Diamondbacks co-op with Brady for basketball and track. The class of 2005 was the last class to graduate from Dutton High School. Due to dwindling populations from both towns, voters from the Brady and Dutton Districts decided to consolidate. The new district was named Dutton/Brady School District #28C. The Dutton and Brady buildings remained open from 2005 until the summer of 2008. Brady housed the middle school, and Dutton was home to the elementary and high school. The impracticality of keeping both buildings open culminated in 2008-09 in educating all students in one building in Dutton’s K-12 school. Improvements to the Dutton campus from 2005-08 included new bleachers, new boilers, an updated front office, and a complete auditorium renovation, including theater seating, paint, ceiling fans, and lights.