Neepawa's School system began in a little white school house about half a mile east of the present town. This school existed even before the formation of Neepawa School District No. 126 in 1888. In 1898 Central School was built where Safeway stands today. Grades one to eleven attended the 3 story school and in 1901 a kindergarten class was opened up. The kindergarten class was closed in 1915 due to disagreements among board members and it wasn't until 1965 that kindergarten classes reentered the school system.
In 1908 a second school was built in Neepawa and it was known as the North Ward School. This school was closed 20 years later when the Viscount School was built in 1908. Eventually Central School became no longer a safe building and in 1951 West Park School was build. This school consisted of 4 classrooms and an auditorium. In 1953, twelve classrooms and office space were added. West Park School was later renamed Hazel M. Kellington School in honor of Miss Kellington who was a devoted teacher at West Park until 1965. The present school was remodelled in 1997.
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The first high school classes started September 1, 1905 in Neepawa Central School with Miss Yemen and Mr. A. J. Bell. High school classes continued in two rooms at the Central School until 1928 when the Viscount Centre was built at the cost of $46,530.31. Rt. Hon. Viscount Willingdon, 13th Governor-General of Canada laid the cornerstone of the new collegiate. The first teachers at the school were H.R. Brown, Dorothea C. Peter, Luella M. Telfer and J.R. Thompson.
The Neepawa School Board #126 became the Neepawa Area Board in June, 1957 and the present high school was built. The Beautiful Plains School Division No. 31 was formed in September 1958 and the high school became Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute and included grades IX to XII. The Viscount School became junior high only. The first teachers at NACI included: Carol Bennett, M. Blanshard, Verna Brown, Edith Dodds, Peter Isaak, Valerie Kolson, Ray MacDonald, Harold Middlesmass, Mildred Musgrove, Ed. Smee and Principal, John Voth.
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