Haunted Schools

When most people think of a haunted place, they think of a haunted house or graveyard, but rarely do people consider the possibility of haunted schools. Read on to learn about some of the most intriguing cases of haunted schools from around the country.

What Causes Haunted Schools?

Paranormal investigators typically find that intense human emotion, suffering or tragedy is usually a precursor to a haunted location. Considering this fact, it should come as no surprise that there are so many haunted schools throughout the country. The following cases describe unexplainable phenomenon that takes place in old schools across the country. In most cases, tragedy has cursed the location with constant haunting activity. In other cases, the paranormal phenomenon appears to defy explanation. If you thought that it took forever to make it through school, just imagine how it feels for the ghosts who are trapped there for eternity.

Metz Elementary School in Austin, Texas

This large school building was built in 1916 in Austin, Texas. For the most part, it was an unremarkable building, and nothing of significance took place there other than a brief disagreement between the community and the school board regarding whether or not to send Spanish-speaking children at the school to a different school nearby that could focus on Spanish-based learning. The matter never progressed beyond discussion, and the students remained. Metz Elementary school educated students in the community for decades until it was shut down in 1989 for being too small for the community's growing needs. Nothing strange was ever mentioned or witnessed at the school until the day the construction crew showed up to demolish the building in order to build a newer, larger building in its place.

The construction crew immediately started experiencing unsettling paranormal activity. It was almost as though the building itself had its own spirit and was actively rebelling against the demolition crew. The workers could hear the sound of children's laughter and noticed writing appear on the chalkboards. The crew ignored the activity, and the poltergeist began to escalate its reaction. Suddenly construction equipment began stalling for no apparent reason, and the crew reported that their watches stopped as they attempted to demolish the school's walls. The crew started to lose workers who were frightened by the unexplainable activity inside the school. Unfortunately, the poltergeist or violent spirit activity turned fatal. One worker was killed when a wall collapsed on top of him. The death put this haunted school in the spotlight of the national media. Even after the school was eventually completely demolished, investigators and researchers continue to search for answers regarding what could have caused the haunting at Metz Elementary School.

Haunted Schools in Indiana

In 1997, Troy Taylor of Prairieghosts.com investigated a series of schools around Indianapolis that locals alleged were haunted. While the schools weren't identified for privacy, the stories surrounding them are both familiar and surreal.

The first school was previously a Quaker meeting house, and the building's alarm system would often go off. The unexplainable part of the scenario was that only the interior alarms would go off, while the outside exterior alarms remained silent.

The second school was described as being haunted by a former principle who died there from a heart attack. Locals believed that he still roamed the halls of the school.

The third school had reports that were similar to poltergeist activity such as lights turning off and on and unexplainable slamming and other sounds.

The fourth school was the most haunted. Locals believe that the ghost who walks the halls of the school is that of a girl who was killed in a car accident just outside the school in 1979. A maintenance worker who saw her actually thought she was a real student until she vanished in an area where there was no exit.

Haunted Illinois College

Not only elementary and high schools are haunted; so are colleges and universities. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, Illinois College is a perfect example of the sort of haunting activity that takes place within historic college buildings. Built in 1829, the college numbers at least 10 locations and buildings that are reported to be haunted. A few examples are provided here.

• The David A. Smith House is reportedly haunted by Effie Smith, the daughter of the original owner who committed suicide by jumping out of the attic window.
• Whipple Hall is haunted by a "Gray Ghost." One sorority girl ran into the gray "man" one evening and when she noticed he had "no face" she ran away screaming.
• Ellis Hall features a ghost in room 303. However, the stories regarding its history differ. In one version it's a girl who hung herself in the closet in 1986 when she wasn't accepted into the Literary Society. The other version states that the girl's name was "Gail" and that she died in the room of a natural illness. All students report a great deal of paranormal activity in room 303.
• Fayerweather House is reportedly affected by poltergeist-like activity where lights turn on and off, and windows and doors open and close on their own. Oddly, students often report grave-shaped indentations in the dirt. No one has ever determined the cause of those indentations.

Attending a Haunted School

Going to a haunted school, whether it's elementary, high school or college, can sometimes be an unsettling experience. For students who have never encountered paranormal phenomenon, the experience of facing unseen forces moving objects or making sounds can cause serious psychological reactions. School administrators who are aware of hauntings at their school should always advise students about the kind activity reported and what to expect. Most importantly, school officials should seriously consider doing everything in their power to rid the location of paranormal activity so students aren't upset and distracted.

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