In 1931, at the height of the Great Depression, Paint Rock Valley citizens raised $2,625 to begin construction of a new school building. Residents gathered native field stones for the façade, which was 18 inches thick when completed. Local sawmills planed the lumber from trees donated by the community. Laborers with the Work Progress Administration (WPA) completed the construction. The school opened for the Fall 1935 term, though portions of the building were incomplete. The Alabama Power Company electrified the school in 1935 and dazzled the community with a lighted outdoor tree. The first senior class of seven graduated in 1938. The school board closed Paint Rock Valley High School in 2018, citing a declining population, limited student opportunities, and the expense of needed repairs. At the time, there were 74 students enrolled in grades K through 12, including five seniors in the final graduating class. The school counts among its most famous alumni Robert Thrower, who was the "most valuable player" of the 1949 state basketball tournament, and Claude "Curly" Putman, the country music singer/songwriter who penned "The Green, Green Grass of Home." The enduring craftsmanship of the school is testament to the determination of valley citizens to provide their children with a quality, local high-school education.