Educating the Community

Birth of a school district
When Fox Lake incorporated as a Village in 1907, the residents also decided to have their own elementary school district, forming the Fox Lake Grade School District 114. The territory for the new school was de-annexed from Gavin School District, approximating the Village borders.

Although the Village annexed additional property through the decades, the school boundaries were usually not changed to match the new Village limits. Thus, based upon current school boundaries, Fox Lake students may attend the Fox Lake, Big Hollow or Gavin schools. One significant school boundary change was when the Fox Lake School District merged with the Lotus Country School District #10 on Grass Lake Road.

Fox Lake’s initial classes were conducted in homes until a frame school house was constructed on Forest Avenue. A brick addition was constructed in 1924 and the original frame section was replaced by brick in 1934. In 1955 the voters approved the construction of the Shady Lane building, now called Stanton. The Lotus School site dates back to 1925.

Gavin and Big Hollow
The first school in the area was erected in 1841 at Fort Hill, followed three years later by Gavin, Big Hollow, Monaville (called “Fox Lake” at the time!). Gavin’s first one-room log structure was replaced shortly after the Civil War. Until 1883, the school term ran 12 months a year with students enrolling for only three months at a time, taking turns staying home when their help was needed on the farm, or when trapping and fishing was particularly good. Male teachers were paid as much as $37.50 per month, compared to the lady teachers’ $20 (1873).

A log schoolhouse was built at Big Hollow in 1844 on a quarter-acre donated by William Dalziel. The log school was replaced in 1873 by a one-room frame building, which was later replaced in 1945.

High School
Prior to 1930, Fox Lake students traveled to Libertyville or Antioch for their high school education. Grant Community High School District 124 opened its doors in 1930 to 110 students. The first graduating class numbered nine girls and one boy. The boundaries remained relatively the same until 1953 when the Round Lake area withdrew to form its own high school district.

Library
In 1939 Mayor Arthur Amundsen leveraged the WPA to help the Fox Lake Women’s Club establish the Fox Lake Public Library. It was initially opened in the Nagle Lumber Yard. Until 1975, the library services were only available to Village residents. In 1975 it was designated as a “district” library serving all of Grant Township.