About Bayless

History of Bayless School

November 16, 2005

Bayless started as a one-room stone schoolhouse in 1868. The Bayles brothers, (one S) that owned farmland nearby donated the land that would become the central campus for the schools in the district. The Bayless Consolidated School District incorporated in 1878. By the late 1920's the district had three grade schools; first through fourth grades at schools on Heege Rd, (Between Siebert Rd and Oak Ave) and Paule Rd, (at Reed Ave) both of which are still standing today, and the Central school at Weber Rd that housed sixth through eighth grades. Under the direction of Superintendent Violet C. Bascom, the high school was added. Bayless' first high school graduating class was in 1932. The high school building was completed in 1935 at a cost of $140,000.

As the district continued to grow the Elementary school was moved onto campus in 1952. It was the first building to go on the north side of Weber Rd. With the baby boom generation now attending school the district knew it would face major overcrowding in the coming years. The largest building project in the school history took place just as the massive influx of students made their way through school. In 1957 a new high school building along with a larger gymnasium building opened next to the old high school. At the same time across the street an Intermediate School was being built. That school first opened its doors in 1960 and was completed in 1965. An auditorium was built between the two high school buildings in 1965.

With a drop in enrollment in the 70's and 80's the district closed the Central school and the old elementary on Heege Rd, which had been used in the 60's for kindergarten classes. Most of the old high school building was unoccupied as well. It wasn't until the 1990's that things started rolling again for the small district. With the boomers children now in school and the public finally supporting a bond issue and tax increase, the district could afford to upgrade. The Central school was demolished and is now a parking lot and cell phone tower. The old high school was remodeled and opened as Bayless Junior High in 1993. Grade levels shifted across the street as fourth and later third grades moved to the Intermediate building and a pre-kindergarten program was added to the Elementary. Currently there are four schools on the Bayless campus; Elementary with grades K-2 with a separate pre-kindergarten program. Intermediate with grades 3-6. Across the street Junior High with grades 7-8 and Senior High with grades 9-12.

As for what happened to the two original elementary schools not on campus; the Heege location is now Aries Plumbing, and Paule School is a private residence.

District and Its Community

The small size of the Bayless District has had its advantages and disadvantages over the years. In its early years most of the district was farmland with a sparse yet growing population. For those children who wanted to pursue a higher education beyond eighth grade, most residence would have to attend Webster Groves High School, which until the 1920 was the closest secondary school in the area. As South County became more developed the Bayless district primarily became residential. Farmland became new homes as part of the swelling St. Louis Suburbs. This was great for the district, as attendance rose rapidly with hundreds of new families moving in. However, there was little in the way of businesses in the area. To this day a majority of the Bayless District is residential, which has always put a burden financially on the schools.

Yet a small school leads to a more intimate setting and smaller class sizes. Teachers and students get to know each other very well. The opportunity to get one-on-one help with schoolwork has always been an advantage for the students. It also allows for faculty and parents to have easier contact with each other. The small school atmosphere also provides the opportunity for all students to participate in school activities and social programs. Everyone knowing everyone is good from a safety standpoint. Strangers can more easily be spotted and truant students that might be skipping class are easily identified because, everyone knows everyone.

Bayless has also been fortunate to have the local community support the district. Passage of a bond issue and a more recent passage of a tax levy has provided the district with an opportunity to improve the learning environment with new technology and clean, safe buildings; not to mention saving the district from near bankruptcy in 2000.

Activities and Enrichment

The Parents as Teachers program has become a popular program run by the Elementary school. The focal point of the program is that parents are a child's first and more important teachers. Parents that enroll in this free program get access to many services that can help their young child to be more prepared for school, years before they ever start classes. Such services include group meetings where parents can share their experiences and gain new insight into how to educate their children. Developmental screenings are provided to ensure that the child has no undetected learning problems. Also books, magazines and educational videos are available to give the parent further assistance. This program is open to all parents within the district and is completely free.

Since the mid 1990's the music program at Bayless High school has been one of the best in the region. The Marching Broncho's have a reputation for being one of the best street marching bands in the state and have won hundreds of awards over the years. The high school also has an award winning jazz band and an all new concert orchestra. Also Bayless has an ever-growing choir program with an award winning Show Choir. For almost 10 years now the Marching and Jazz bands, along with Show Choir go on a spring trip, which has led them to competitions all over the continent, in which they never have come back empty handed.

The Sports program, though small, allows for students to show off their skills in a variety of sports. Men's and women's soccer, volleyball and basketball are offered along with baseball and softball. Bayless men's basketball has a long and vibrant history. During the early 1970's Bayless had the most dominant team in its division, and even had 2 births in the state Final 4. During those years the team was led by coach Thomas Lombardo who the gymnasium is now named after.

The High School's Dramatics Department has also thrived in recent years. Recently a semi-remodeled Raymond Keller Auditorium, named for a long time Social Studies teacher, hosted the musical Annie, which performed to sell out crowds. Traditionally, two stage shows are preformed a year one in fall and the other in spring.

Festivals are held throughout the year so the student body as well as parents and others in the community can come together and have some fun. A carnival is held on campus every spring with games, music, and plenty of food. Family Fun Night is held every winter in the elementary with a variety of games and prizes for the kids, with booths run by many of the schools clubs and organizations.

A Multi-Cultural School

Bayless' location in south St. Louis County has become a center of gravity for many immigrant families. A large Bosnian population along with families from Mexico, Vietnam, Pakistan, Germany and China, among others have all found their way to the district. Bayless welcomes everyone with open arms and is prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure that students of any race or background gets a quality education. A mixed student body also allows for American born children to develop a greater understanding of other cultures that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to do so in other areas of the country. An ELL program has been set up so students can have assistance in learning the English language.

This is just a brief introduction to Bayless Schools and more will be added and updated in the coming months.