In addition to Wortham, the district serves students in the town of Kirvin and rural areas of western Freestone County.
Wortham ISD has three campuses: In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.
[1] The town of Wortham, first known as Longbotham, was established by a Mexican Colonization land grant on July 24, 1835.
The ABC's, McGuffey's Reader, Davie's Arithmetic, the Blue Back Speller and writing were taught to pupils of all ages, who were in classed according to their reading abilities.
Several of the pioneer families organized, built a one-room building, purchased supplies, hired Miss Sallie Booth from Sam Houston State Teachers College for thirty dollars a month and sent their children to this private school.
Approximately thirty students, mostly girls, of all ages attended this school because the parents didn't want their children whipped.
This private school is believed to have been located on the east side of the railroad track, which lasted for only five years.
Under the supervision of Professor Kirvin in 1891, Wortham formed the first independent school district in Freestone County.
A gradual increase in scholastics was noted from 1905 to 1911, and by 1913 Wortham was the first school in Freestone County to be granted affiliation with the State University.
Trustees at this time were T. B. Poindexter, President; W. J Bryant, Secretary; Henry Meador, Will Calame, J. F. Wallis, John P. Stubbs and T. O. Sims.
The discovery of oil around Wortham in 1924 brought money and pupils into the school over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Mrs. Angie Williams, teacher of third grade at that time, recalls the following experience: On Wednesday afternoon, November 23, 1924, at 4 o'clock, school was dismissed for the Thanksgiving holidays.
On Thursday afternoon, the Simmons's well blew in making several thousand barrels of oil daily.
By Monday morning the peaceful little town was seething with excitement; the children came from every direction to enroll in school.
p. 211) They ranged from 8 to 14 years of age and came from public and parochial schools in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
Myrtle Randle Fowlks researched and found that in the year 1932, Mr. F. W. Wheeler became the principal and agriculture teacher.
Clara Lucas Benton, 1938 graduate of Currie, stated that in 1927 a white duplex home was brought into town and served as the first grade building.
On August 1, 1939, citizens of the Wortham Independent School District voted a $6,500 bond to build a gymnasium.
Each morning Mr. Quince Cox, custodian, set up tables and chairs on the gym floor for the students and the faculty to eat lunch.
The high school study hall students hurriedly completed their assignments in order to volunteer to help Mr. Quince.
Mr. Quince would mop the floor and have the gymnasium ready for the 2:30 p.m. high school physical education class.
The students in this building completed their year of education in the Methodist Church and locations around campus.
She recalls Mrs. Nell Jolly completed teaching the year of homemaking in the concession stand of the gym, Mrs. Sadie Stubbs taught English in the bus barn, and Joe Stooksberry taught history in the boys' dressing room in the gym.
The amount of $16, 059 was used to renovate the old grammar school building by removing the top story and converting the remaining floor into a modern cafetorium.
(WISD Board minutes, June 17, 1958) At this time, the school bell was removed from the tower and placed in front of the elementary as an Ex-Student Memorial.
Increases in student activities and the continued success of the drama department, led to the need for a larger assembly area.
(Wortham ISD Board minutes, April 15, 1974) WISD has continued to grow and build.
In order to meet needs, a bond election was held for a new high school building and, on November 23, 1985, passed 211 for and 198 against.
Wortham High School has partnered with Navarro College to offer many dual credit classes as well.
Superintendents of Wortham High School 1834 = Robert Longbotham 1883 = Professor Miller, Principal 1885-1890 = Professor Kirvin, Principal 1918-1929 = C. V. Reed 1929-1934 = L. A. Roberts 1934-1935 = L. D. Williams 1935-1937 = W. D. Murphy 1938-1941 = John A. Freeman 1941-1945 = C. G. Masterson 1945-1949 = J. Mil Auld 1949-1951 = L. B. T. Sikes 1951-1952 = T. F. Cloud 1952-1955 = Clayton Oakes 1955-1956 = George E. Moore 1957-1963 = James E. Robertson 1963-1966 = Eldon Edge 1966-1969 = J. W. Gibson 1969-1980 = Wayne Poe 1980-1986 = C. T. Griffin 1986-1989 = Randy Butler 1989-1992 = Sandra Lowery 1992-1993 = Albert Thompson 1993-1997 = Edward Donahue 1997-2000 = Rick Larkin 2000-2005 = Jack Thomason 2005–2011 = Albert Armer 2011–2014 = Dr. Bruce Tabor 2014–Present = David Allen