Valley Head School is a public school, serving grades K-12, located in rural DeKalb County, Alabama, about 10 miles north of Fort Payne, Alabama.

When first constructed in 1925, double hung windows were installed in the third and present Valley Head School building. The windows had ropes and weights which held them up when raised. Through the years, most of the ropes broke and the windows were no longer serviceable. When raised, the windows then had to be held up with sticks or broom handles. In the 1980s, those windows were replaced with energy-efficient thermopanes.

Around 1930, a row of oak saplings was planted in front of the building by M.P. Clark and his brother. The trees were a project of the Valley Head Woman’s Club. Today, those young saplings are stately oaks that stand tall and proud.

The Valley Head Elementary School Building was funded and erected by the county and state in 1962. This building consisted of six classrooms. In the mid-to-late 1960s, two remedial reading rooms and an office were added to the rear of the original structure.

As the attendance continued to grow, many additions were made to the school facility. In 1987, the elementary building received another two-room addition, again at the rear of the building. In 1997, the elementary school received another two-room kindergarten building separate from the elementary building.

In 2000-2001, a new three-room science building was added to the high school campus. This building was built on land across the street from the high school building. A private citizen donated money for the project.

The library at Valley Head School has always been an essential part of the school. At present, our library lies on the north side of the school building. The interior was remodeled during the summer of 2000. The library is fully automated and houses approximately 10,500 books along with other materials including videos, filmstrips, audio cassettes and players, as well as approximately 50 CD-ROM programs. These materials are accessible through a networked computer catalog. Two multimedia carts are available for classroom use that include a network computer, printer, scanner and a large screen TV monitor. Seven computers are located in the library that have Internet access and print capabilities. Channel One Equipment Satellite and TV cable system are housed in the library.

Because of the age and condition of the old football field, it was suggested that a new stadium be built. In the summer of 1991, the plans began to evolve. The field was ready for the first home game on September 17, 1991. Dedication of the new field took place on October 18, 1991.

Over the past five years, the average class size at Valley Head School has fluctuated very little. The current enrollment at 525 students with an average class size of fifteen. Safety conditions at the school have been upgraded to include a school crisis plan, metal detectors and a video security system.

Little change has taken place concerning school transportation except for those repairs required. We have no bus over seven years old. The bus routes are not overcrowded, and we have no major discipline problems on our buses.