Throughout the history of our nation, whenever enough people settled in an area to support a school, a school was established. The early settlers of the Laurel area were no exception. Ther first school building was erected in 1883, ten years before the village was incorporated.

The small frame building was located north and a little east of the Tolles Grove west of Highway 20. It burned in the summer of 1886. On April 20, 1887, James Green, a bachelor from the town of Palos, Cook County, Illinois, deeded one acre of land to School District #28 of the town of Claramont.

The first school building was then replaced by the "little green schoolhouse" that was promptly erected on this site. Its location was just north of town on the banks of the Logan Creek. Thirteen pupils, including Laura Martin, for whom Laurel was named, were in attendance on January 12, 1888, when the spectacular blizzard struck. Nine of those thirteen students were unable to reach home and spent the night in the schoolhouse. 

On July 7, 1894, a meeting was called at the schoolhouse and a board was appointed to buy six lots on the "Summit" (near the old stand pipe) for the erection of a schoolhouse. A special election was called to vote $3,500 in bonds for the erection of the new building. The vote was 30 for and 10 against. Until the new building could be completed, a class was taught in 1895 by Mrs. J. W. Brown, wife of barber Brown, in the Everett & Waite Hall above a store (now Corner Cafe). The high school building was erected in the fall of 1894 by Maun and Fowler.

In 1918, at the time of World War I, the high school enrollment was 54. Four years later it was 106, nearly double; the elementary enrollment was 152. The need for a new building was severely felt. The board of education, therefore, called for a $55,000 bond election for June 8, 1922. The bond was to include $12,500 for remodeling the old building and changing the heating system.

The bond election, however, failed. A second bond election was called for July 6 of the same year. This time the amount was $52,000 and met with more favor since 200 favored it and 118 opposed it. By September, masons were laying brick for the new building. By May of 1923, the new building was nearing completion and twenty-three seniors were able to have their graduation exercises in the new high school assembly. In addition to the assembly room with a stage, the new building provided for modern home economics facilities, several classrooms, boys' and girls' restrooms with showers. storage rooms and offices. After the completion of the high school building in 1923, no more building was done in District 54 for more than 30 years.

With the closing of the Concord High School in 1958, and with the expansion of the high school curriculum, additional classrooms were needed. This need was partially met in 1960 when the high school assembly was made smaller and the stage was removed to make two additional classrooms. A couple of years later, the library area of the assembly was closed and also became a classroom.

As additional districts were contracting or consolidating with District 54, another building program was needed. District 63 (Concord) of Dixon County had consolidated with District 54 in 1962 and full use was being made of the Concord building, yet still more classroom space was needed. A $170,000 bond election was called by the board of education for December 7, 1964.

The proposed building addition was favored by 307 voters while 173 voters opposed it. The bond issue provided for a physical science room, a biological science room, two classrooms, a modern home economics room, a music and band room, two restrooms and a heating plant. The addition was ready for occupancy in January of 1966.

In 1976, an $850,000 bond issue was passed for the construction of an elementary and activity building. The new facility is built just north of the 1965 building and adjoins the old gymnasium. The ultra-modern elementary school contains a kindergarten room with reading and activity areas and a restroom, classrooms (with movable pantitions for more classroom space) for the elementary, activity room for science and art instruction, library/media center and audio-visual rooms, two rooms to meet the requirements for Special Education and a teacher planning/workroom area.

The activity area includes a modern gymnasium with adequate seating space for 2,000 persons, boys' and girls' athletic lockers and weight room. The new addition was put into occupancy in April 1978.  The nearly eighty-year-old building was demolished in June of the same year. A corridor connecting the 1965 building with the new building was completed in 1979. In 1981 office rooms and a conference room were constructed on the east side of the wide corridor.

In the Spring of 1996, the City and School joined forces in a project spearheaded by the Laurel-Concord Athletic Boosters for the construction of a School/Community Health and Fitness Center. The new facility was to be located between the Old Gym and the Band Room. The 40' x 65' building was proposed in April of 1996; the contractors were Thompson & Huetig. Construction began in the summer and was completed in September. The total cost was $54,170. The facility is open to both the students and community patrons from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons.

In 1994, a joint educational needs assessment was conducted in the 22 counties of northeast and north central nebraska. This project conducted by UNL, Wayne State, and Northeast Community College indicated the concern that place-bound and time-bound learners felt the lack of accessible educational opportunities limited their ability to advance in their jobs and careers. The chief obstacles to attaining an education were distance and travel time to attend classes and work vs. school time scheduling, employee resistance, and cost.

At approximately this same time, the Laurel-Concord School Board and the Laurel City Council began discussion about advancing educational opportunities for students and patrons of Laurel and surrounding communities.

This discussion resulted in the showing of support, from a majority of those returning surveys, for the construction of a Joint School/Community Library and Media Center. An architect was hired and plans for the construction of a new 10,239 sq. ft. Library/Media Center were investigated. In the summer of 1995, these plans were put on hold, pending further study.

In December of 1996, the Laurel-Concord Board of Education began its assessment of current needs and programs. The need for adult education, expanded special education programs, expanding space for technology, coordination of library/ media services, improved parking, and handicap accessibility for the second floor of the existing facility were highlighted. This assessment again led to the discussion of expanding on the success of the Health and Fitness Center and partnership with the City of Laurel and the Laurel-Concord Educational Foundation.

It is felt that the three-way partnership among the City of Laurel, Laurel-Concord School District, and  the Laurel-Concord Education Foundation is a unique way to enhance learning opportunities for the entire community. Construction began in August of 1997, in front of the current school building. The new library was to include Public/Adult area, High School area, and Elementary/Children area, as well as two distance learning rooms, restrooms, computer area, and a media office.

The building was nearly complete in the spring of 1998 with final touches added and a dedication and open house taking place in June of 1998. The total cost of the project was $348,700. Hours of the Learning Center are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Public hours are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. Friday is 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday hours are 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and the Learning Center is available to the public from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.
 
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