Ola High School History

East Henry County is rich in history and has played a prominent role in the life of the county.  Among the oldest churches in the county are Sardis (1823) and Sharon (1824). In 1828, North and South Ola Roads, also known as Macon Road, were constructed.  The settlement we know as Ola developed around the intersection of this road and Keys Ferry.  As early as 1828, a store was located at the crossroads with the Norman Turner Company being the last old store to operate at this site. Descendants of the Crowell Family report that this community was named Wano before Ola, which tradition hold was in honor of Ola Patton. 

Early 20th century schools serving this area include Beersheba, Ellistown, Mount Bethel, New Hope, Ola, Pine Grove, Riverdale, Rock Spring, Sandy Ridge, Sardis and South River. In 1907, Riverdale school was moved from Spanning Shoals Road to "the old ball ground at Ola." On May 1, 1923, it was ruled to change the name of Riverdale school to Ola High School. During the hard years of the Boll Weevil Depression of the 1920s,  most of the schools in the area were closed and consolidated with Ola.  Ola High School was a wooden schoolhouse located on the same site as JB Henderson just north of here. When Ola High School was demolished to make way for the construction of a modern brick building in 1954, the old Riverdale Schoolhouse was relocated behind Sharon Church. 

In April 1955, the Board of Education renamed the school at the request of the Ola Goodwill Community Club to honor a school board member who died suddenly while the building was under construction.  Since the earliest days of the county, the people of this area have been known as good, honest and hardworking people.  

Written By: 

Gene E. Morris Jr. 

Henry County Historian 

Who we are as a Community of Learners

Vision

Ola High will graduate each student prepared for life beyond high school.

Mission

Provide access to exceptional learning opportunities inside and beyond the classroom that prepares each student for success in a global society.Ola High School Believes…

each student should have access to pursue a wide variety of rigorous learning opportunities.each student can learn and will achieve at the highest levels regardless of background or prior performance.

learning takes place in a culture of mutual respect among all members of our community.

All learning environments must be safe and orderly.