Corning's school began with a small district schoolhouse built in 1872, replaced by a larger building in 1878. In 1893, a large two-story frame building was built on the land where the park is now located, and a two-year high school graduated a class of five that same year. In 1905, the high school became a three-year course and remained so until 1912, when it became a four-year school. A brick building was erected in 1917, the school was renamed Corning Rural High School, and the building also housed the grade school. The district was formally organized on Jan. 10, 1918. In 1941, the school received a Class "A" rating from the State Dept. of Education, the highest rating available for Kansas high schools. Corning Rural High School graduated its last class in 1968, grade school classes continued until January, 1983, and the building was razed in 1990.