History :

The Kernville School District was first established on May 5, 1868, with twenty-six census children reported in the district. An earlier school had been established in 1863 by Adam Hamilton, but it was not a public, tax-supported school. Mr. Hamilton, founder of the town of Whiskey Flat, which is present day Kernville, was the first district clerk for the Kernville School District. J. W. Summer served as district clerk from 1870 to 1887, and from 1888 to 1892, a total of twenty-one years.

The name of the first Kernville teacher, following its organization as a school district, is not known. From official records, the earliest known teachers were Mrs. Hettie Gould and Lizzie Yates. They taught at the Kernville School in 1880-81, with an average daily attendance of fifty-nine pupils.

Between 1906 and 1918, teachers did not stay long at Kernville. The average stay was one and one-half years. High teacher turnover was typical of Kern County rural schools during this period, thus it was not a problem unique to Kernville.