Harvey High School

Prior to 1945-46, students in the greater Harvey area attended one room schoolhouses in their local areas. These schools included grades one through eight. Students wishing to graduate from high school had the opportunity to take grades nine to eleven at McAdam High School. These students stayed in boarding houses in McAdam.

In 1945-46, students in grades nine and ten started attending classes in Taylor Hall, a building that once existed adjacent to Taylor Field on the shore of Harvey Lake. Students from outlying areas boarded at homes in the village from December to April because roads were not plowed in the winter. These students went home on weekends. In 1946-47, students in grades nine, ten and eleven attended classes in Taylor Hall until Christmas. In January 1947, our original high school, Harvey Regional High School (HRHS) was opened and the first graduating class of four students graduated in June of 1947. HRHS contained grades seven to eleven, so now one room schoolhouses only went up to grade six. Pictures of the original HRHS can be found on the graduation composites hanging in the halls. HRHS was a white wooden structure located right beside the highway, below the present day elementary school and near the "Big Fiddle". School bus service began in 1947-48. In 1950-51, the graduation requirement increased from grade 11 to grade 12. For this reason, there was no graduating class in 1950-51.

In 1960, a brick structure was built to accommodate a growing school population. This building housed grades seven and eight plus a new construction and automotive shop for the high school. The old shop in the high school was converted to a library. As the school population continued to grow, two portable classrooms were also added. This brick structure still exists today beside the "Big Fiddle" and is home to Southwest Valley Development and storage space for School District 18.

In 1965, the present day Elementary School was constructed. All students in grades one through six who attended one room schoolhouses now attended this new school. As well, all three school buildings were now in close proximity to each other. All one room schoolhouses were closed. Many of these schoolhouses still exist today. They have been converted to community halls, homes and workshops.

The Harvey Memorial Community Centre (HMCC or Rec Centre)) was constructed in 1972-73. Shortly after its construction, all physical education classes and indoor team sports were moved to the new gym in the Rec Centre. Students in grades seven to twelve at HRHS walked to the Rec Centre for phys ed classes and team practices. All home games were also played at the Rec Centre.

The final class to graduate from HRHS was the class of 1979-80. In the fall of 1980, construction was completed on our current building and the name, after much debate, was changed to Harvey High School (HHS). On the long weekend in November 1980, students and staff helped move textbooks and other materials to the new building. Shortly afterwards, the old HRHS structure was demolished. Today, a Veteran’s Cenotaph stands on this site. The class of 1980-81 was the first to graduate from HHS.

In 1997-98, grade six became part of the middle school model, and moved from the elementary school to the high school building. To accommodate this move, the original library and computer lab were converted to classrooms 140, 141 and 142. The original home economics room was converted to the present day library and computer lab. Half of the original construction lab was converted to the present day BBT lab. Recent additions and upgrades to the school property, thanks primarily to the Harvey High School Education Foundation, include modern soccer facilities on the back field and a modern recreation park at the front of the property that includes tennis courts, basketball courts, beach volleyball courts and a mini golf course.