3 was established in unincorporated Cerro Gordo County in 1870, but was later moved to Ventura after a successful but controversial referendum.
A new elementary school was built after a $240,000 bond referendum passed on April 4, 1956, and it was dedicated on September 30, 1957.
[1] The Ventura and Clear Lake districts began having joint specialty high school classes in fall 1963.
[2] The election to determine whether the districts would merge was held on September 9, 2014, with 602–22 in Garner–Hayfield and 351–51 counts in Ventura favoring the merger.
[3] Approval required each district to have over half of its constituents to vote in favor.