Melby School District came into being in the spring of 1890. The following information was taken from records on file in the office of the Foster County Superintendent of Schools.
"April 29, 1890‑ Pursuant to the order of the County Commissioners the first election for school officers for Melby School District was held at the house of Ole Melby April 29, 1890, and resulted as follows: For directors Knude Melby, Knude Alfstad, and C.C. Rogne. For District treasurer, Ole Melby.
"After the polls were closed and vote canvassed, board organized by electing Knude Melby president of the school board and J.K. Rogne district clerk.
"June 8, 1890‑ At the regular election for school officers the following officers were elected.
Director for one year Knude Melby.
Director for two years K. Alfstad.
Director for three years C. Rogne. For district treasurer Ole Melby. Board organized by electing Knude Alfstad president and appointing J. Rogne clerk.
"June 1893‑ No election held‑ the officers continue to serve‑ the reason of their being no election was that the men were all away out of the district working on the "Soo" Railroad.
"In February following, Tollef Robley and Knute Melby resigned and Andrew Johnson and Carl Benson were appointed directors. The clerk Ole Melby also resigning, Knute Alfstad was selected Clerk, Company treasurer, and acting treasurer."
According to early settlers in the district, the first schools were scattered around the district. One school was located south of town and another in the southwestern portion of the district.
School terms varied in length. Some lasted two months, some longer. There apparently were several terms of school during a given year.
The following quotes were taken from several copies of the Foster County Tribune printed in McHenry at the turn of the century.
December 8, 1899‑ Miss Ida Kaasa reports 18 pupils enrolled in the school and not all of the children have begun to enroll.
Miss Nordhaugen, mother of a young lady who taught here last summer, died at her home in Cooperstown.
March 16, 1900‑ First quarter taxes to Melby were apportioned.
June 28, 1900‑ Mrs. Helen Alfstad reports an enrollment of 30 pupils.
July 26, 1900‑ If people want to bond the township to build a new school, they must go through a certain procedure
It will soon be too late to do anything this year and unless the question is decided, work will have to go over until next spring.
August 2, 1900‑ School board bought a house to be moved into the southwest corner of the township to be used for school purposes.
The people of this district have decided to wait until next spring before issuing bonds for a new school for the town.
October 25, 1900‑ School may not start as early as expected because furniture wasn't provided.
November 8, 1900‑ School in the village district will start Monday with O.E. Wood twirling the ferrule.
November 15, 1900‑ Minnie Tamms finished a very successful term of school in the school south of McHenry.
November 15, 1900‑ It is expected that school will start in the village district next week. J.W. Ellingson has been engaged to teach. (O.E. Wood couldn't begin the term as teacher due to other job commitments. Mr. Ellingson was to become the husband of Gertie Bjorgo and the father of Lannes and Robert Ellingson, Dora Delfs and Shirley Bergan, all of whom reside in the McHenry community, and Custer and Ellsworth, deceased.)
November 22, 1900‑ J.W. Ellingson began a two month's term of school in the village district on Monday with an attendance of 12.
January 3, 1901‑ Prof. J.W. Ellingson dismissed school in the village district during Christmas and New Year's weeks.
March 14, 1901‑ The winter term of the village school closes on Friday.
March 28, 1901‑ Minnie Tamms is expected to begin teaching a spring and summer term of school in the Werner district south of town about April 1.
The town school for which villagers were trying to get bonds issued in the summer of 1900 went into operation in 1902. This school was located in the southwestern part of the village. After a few years of operation, it was used in the construction of the Opera House which is now the "show hall" located on Main Street.
According to records Melby became a special district April 9, 1907, in a special election‑ carried by 6 votes.
The second village school was a brick building that was completed in 1909 at the cost of $35,000. It sat on the site of the present building and contained a full basement for recreation, lavatories, janitor room and later a workshop for manual training. The first floor was composed of four classrooms and the second floor housed the assembly, science room, eighth‑grade room, and a library‑office combination.
In early years only two years of high school were offered. Later, three years were offered until 19191920 when the fourth year was added. Winnifred Fitch and Florence Dierdorff were the first students to graduate from McHenry's high school in the year 1920.
In 1914 McHenry Township consolidated with McHenry School bringing in such students as the Delfs, Pewes, and Werners.
After McHenry began operating a four‑year high school, some students from Glenfield such as the Dybwads stayed in McHenry in order to finish high school.
On October 5, 1939, the community was stunned to see that their school had been destroyed by fire. At the time there were about 150 students enrolled. The building valued at $50,000 was a complete loss.
During the period following the fire until the third village school was completed by a WPA crew composed mostly of local men, students attended classes in churches and halls in the village. The cement building that now serves as McHenry's school received its first students in the fall of 1942. Those who began first grade that year were Elton Fadness, Walter Fadness, Patty Gilbertson, Donald Haakenson, Lorraine Hayden, and Leroy Miller. Their teacher was Eleanor Nogosek. The first class to graduate in the spring of 1943 consisted of Ruth Aaker, Burton Aarestad, Wilfred Aarestad, Marjorie Beal, Therese Fadness, Gladys Hoyt, Merhe Knauss, John Leahy, Elsie LePine, Shirley Rath, Emil Saint, Jeanne Thompson, Lawrence Tufte, Paul Vance, and Robert Wixom.
In 1958 Juanita reorganized with the McHenry District, and in 1960 Colvin, Cherry Lake, and Paradise Districts became a part of the district.
In the spring of 1980 possibly the last senior class graduated from McHenry High School as in the fall of 1980 the high school students began attending the Glenfield‑Sutton School. All the district's elementary students will still attend school in McHenry along with Glenfield‑Sutton students in grades five through eight.
Students comprising the Class of 1980 were Ricky Bartlett, Mark Becker, Louanne Black, Douglas Briss, Mary Ellingson, Michael Erickson, Judy Frappier, Ardys Hoyt, Jean Larson, Annette Saint, Jennifer Saint, and Marlys Twedt.
Since the consolidation in 1914, several people have served as superintendents of McHenry School District No. 15:
1914 - Raymond McLees,
1915 - A.G. Somermeyer,
1917 - Mable Zimmerman,
1918 - Lillian Musseeter,
1919 - Florence Fitzgerald,
1920 - William Bublitz,
1921‑ Jas. Hagen,
1922 - Ann Franklin,
1923 - J.W. Hogan,
1924 - O.A. Brewer,
1926 - Carl Finkbeiner,
1928 - T.A. Bosworth,
1934 - Arthur Simson,
1938 - Hildor Braa,
1942 - Fred Cink,
1943 - Merle Zimmerman,
1944 - Warren Peterson,
1945 - Hovey Simon,
1946 - Fred Nunn and Mrs. Ruth Frajola,
1947 - Robert D. Smith.
1953 - Neland Haavig,
1956 - Loyd Olson,
1959 - Clair Bergenne,
1967‑ Ray George,
1969 - David Horlacher,
1970 - John Feichtner,
1974 - Aanen Gjovik,
and 1976 - Danny Buckle, still superintendent in 1982 and 1983.
Listed below are people in addition to those mentioned at the beginning of this history who have served as school officers of the Melby and McHenry School Districts. They are named during the year they were first elected or appointed.
June 1894 - Ole Michaelson, director; Alick Helling, clerk; and C. Benson, president.
1895 - A.N. England, who filled out the term of C.O. Benson who removed from the district.
1896 - E.N. Brown, clerk.
1897‑ A.B. Nerby.
1900 - K.J. Alfstad, C. Benson, and William Werner, president.
1901‑ Ellis Willoughby.
1902 - H.L. Culver.
1906 - John Paulson.
1907 - H.T. Holverson, John Paulson, R.R. Raymond and Anton Jensen.
1908 - H.M. Runge, F.R. Cruden.
1911‑ Oscar Moebeck (appointed), S.N. McQuat.
1913 - Rev. N. (or W.) Larson, I.D. Allison, John Faytle, J.A. Dierdorff, W.O. Lowden, O.E. Mobeck.
1914 - H.F. Cole.
1915 - Paul Christiansen.
1917 ‑ D.C. Best.
1920 - E.M. Metz.
1922 - M. Zimmerman, John Knuth.
1923 - E. M. Saul.
1924 - E.A. LeBien.
1925 - John Whalen.
1926 - J.B. McWethy.
1927 - Charles Pewe.
1928 - G. Nelson, E. Culver.
1934 - Ludvig Leir.
1935 - Anton Johanns, treasurer.
1938 - Clarence Messmer, Bennett Nerby, A.M. Midgley, Robert Hickman.
1942 - Louis Pewe, Thorval Thompson.
1943 - Emil Lowe.
1944 - Tony Smith.
1946 - A.0. Haugen. Sherman Lillethun, clerk.
1947 - Mrs. Laura Lowe, Mrs. Sara Rath, clerk.
1948 - Arthur Brown.
1949 - Leo Overbeck, Robert Smith, clerk.
1951‑ Herman Delfs.
1952 - Edward Swanson, clerk.
1953 - Paul Brandt.
1955 - Alfred Anderson, Edmund Pewe, M.F. Saint, clerk, Arthur Olson, treasurer.
1958 - Alf Stangeland.
1960 - Stephen Balvitsch, Melvin Haven, Robert Christiansen.
1963 - Arthur Olson, Norvin Black, Ed Pewe, treasurer.
1964 - Wilbert Luttschwager, Elaine Anderson, treasurer.
1965 - Myron Kjelgaard.
1967‑ Kenneth Stangeland.
1971‑ Marlin Erickson.
1972 - Richard Aasand, Richard McDaniel.
1973 - Alf Stangeland.
1974 - Arthur Twedt, Peter Becherl.
1975 - Avis Lowe, clerk.
1976 - Jonathon Short, Roylene Herbert, clerk.
1978 - Lyle Black.
1979 - Leslie Gregor.
1980 - James Rasmussen.
1980 - Yvonne Aasand, clerk.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 342