Education in the Humble area began in 1873 when Joseph W. Dunman, son of early Humble settler Joseph Dunman, opened Joe Dunman's schoolhouse for local children. In 1884, Common School District No. 28 was established, but it included only Dunman's schoolhouse on Atascocita Road in the southern portion of the district. In 1888, the district split, with the northern portion remaining District No. 28 and the southern portion becoming District No. 35. Both districts thrived after oil was discovered in Humble in 1904, and by 1909 each district had opened new campuses, including the town's first brick schoolhouse, The Humble School, on Higgins Street. A new wooden schoolhouse for African American students was also built on the west side of town. As years passed, enrollment in District No. 35 declined, and the two districts merged in the summer of 1918 as District No. 50. In 1919, Common School District No. 50 became the Humble Independent School District. School enrollment decreased for several decades but began to recover in the late 1950s. The establishment of Houston Intercontinental Airport on the west side of town in the 1960s and the development of the master-planned community of Kingwood in the 1970s accelerated growth and increased enrollment in Humble schools. The city and school district have continued to grow and thrive, and through quality education Humble schools grew from one schoolhouse to more than 40 schools serving the community with more than 68,000 graduates and counting.