Gladesboro Elementary School derives its name from "Gladesborough," a name given to the area around 1850 by Sara Cook, a descendant of the first settlers, possible Tories, who sought refuge following the Revolutionary War. A glade is a treeless area in a thick forest, here caused by cranberry bogs. Borough is the British word for a settlement or village. When a name was needed to establish a Post
Office, the spelling was changed to Gladesboro, which then became the official name for the area. Gladesboro still remains a small rural community today. The first public school in Gladesboro was established in the Snake Creek Primitive Baptist Church before 1872. Later, another public school was located just west of the Gladesboro Lutheran Cemetery. The school was discontinued long before a two-room frame building was erected in 1929 on the site where the present school, built in 1955, stands today. In late June 1993, the Carroll County School Board voted to consolidate and restructure its schools. At that time, GladesboroElementary School became a K-5 school and began serving a wider attendance area. By the start of the 1997-1998 school year, the student body had risen to 149 students. Severe overcrowding affected major aspects of the school. There were overcrowded classrooms, high student-teacher ratios, and no work areas for staff or special services. The old west and storage closets became the Guidance and Reading Recovery Rooms. The cafeteria storage closet served as the faculty lounge and later the Title I Room. The library was converted into an additional classroom housing two first grades. A mobile unit was ordered. The stage and Title I work area were converted into a very small library. The multi-purpose room, now two-thirds its former size, housed the physical education classes and school assemblies, as well as serving as the school cafeteria. During the 1996-1997 school year, the Carroll County School Board voted to renovate and enlarge Gladesboro as part of its countywide building program. The next year a Building Committee was appointed. Groundbreaking for the new addition was held June 6, 1999 with members of the school body and community in attendance. Construction commenced in August 1999 and continued throughout the year will completion slated for Fall 2000. At the beginning of the 2000-2001 school year, construction on the new addition was well underway. However, the fall completion date was moved to late Spring 2001. Despite many inconveniences and hardships, the student, staff, and parents worked together toward a successful year. The official dedication of the new Gladesboro Elementary School was held September 10, 2001.
