Cross Roads ISD is a 2-A school district with approximately 600 students enrolled in three campuses serving Pre-Kindergarten through grade twelve. Our Accountability Rating is Academically Recognized. Cross Roads ISD’s ethnic composition is 92.9% white, 5.3% Hispanic and 1.8% African American.

Cross Roads is a small rural community where cattle production is the main industry. We are located at the juncture of FM 59 and FM 3441 in southwest Henderson County. The district covers 113.2 square miles. Cross Roads is located 12 miles southwest of Athens and 9 miles south of Malakoff.

History of Cross Roads School

The name Cross Roads originated when a brush arbor camp meeting of Baptist denomination was held. It was given this name because the road from Athens to Wild Ferry and the road from Malakoff to Palestine crossed at this point.

In 1908, Cross Roads had a little one-room schoolhouse. The first business building that was known to Cross Roads was a cotton gin. Later, other businesses located at Cross Roads were groceries stores, a drugstore, a pea thrasher, blacksmith shop, barber shop, and a post office.

During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, most small communities had a local school to take care of the educational needs of the children. Since most travel methods involved travel by horseback, buggy, or on foot, and at best provided a slow means of transportation, local schools were a practical solution. Many of these schools only had classes for students through the seventh grade. The number of students in each of these local schools varied from a few to over fifty.

In the early 1900’s the state superintendent began to press for high school education. At this time, most schools only had seven grades. As a result of this push, many small schools began to consider consolidation as to provide upper grade levels of education. Eight of the local small schools that would eventually consolidate to form the Cross Roads Consolidated Independent School District were Lockland, Willow Springs, Turkey Creek, Rome, Beck’s Chapel, Post Oak, Jackson’s Chapel and Thompson’s Mill.

In 1925, the school was a four-room red brick building. A teacherage was also built. In 1928, four rooms were added to this building. During the depression in 1935, a gymnasium was built. The Works Progress Administration of President Roosevelt provided funds for building the rock tower, fences, and stadium.

Students of the community, from grades one to eleven attended Cross Roads School. In 1939, the state changed from eleven grades to twelve grades.

Cross Roads School continued to serve students one through twelve until a fire on May 17, 1953, destroyed the main building of the school. It was decided by the people of Cross Roads that elementary and junior high classes would continue to be held at the present location and the school would be partially rebuilt. High school students would transfer to Athens, Cayuga, or Malakoff. This arrangement would last until the late 1970’s.

In the early 1970’s, Cross Roads added kindergarten. The school now served students from kindergarten through eighth grade. High school students remained having to transfer to Athens, Cayuga or Malakoff.

In 1978, Cross Roads added grades nine and ten. Then in 1979, Cross Roads added the eleventh and twelfth grades which were housed in what is now the junior high school. The senior class of 1980 was the first class to graduate from Cross Roads High School since the fire of 1953. The present high school was built in 1987.

From a one room schoolhouse in 1908, to the present, Cross Roads serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school, as well as the community, continues to grow.