Rural education in the Delta was difficult for students and teachers, who faced obstacles including weather, long walks, family responsibilities, and the use of worn and substandard materials at an African-American school. Getting an education and graduating were hard, and conditions became even worse during the Flood of 1927 and the Great Depression that followed. Despite these hardships, the school received a new cook stove in 1936, and the Parent-Teacher Association worked with the Works Progress Administration to establish a hot lunch program that helped many underprivileged children of Sawdust Hill grow into healthy and productive citizens.