When settlers first came to the county, children were taught at home by their parents or by a teacher hired by them. When a community had enough children to justify a special building, a school district was organized and a one-room schoolhouse was built. Early schools were financed with money from the sale of Section No. 16 in each township, designated as the school section. Each township had several school buildings so that every family would be within walking distance of a school. In 1883, the county had 109 schools and 6147 pupils in Carroll County. As the population increased, high schools were built, and nearly every township in the county had its own high school. Most remained in use until school consolidation in 1959.