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The minutes of County of York, Pickering Township, reveal that School Officers appeared in 1842 promptly after the passing of the School Act of 1842. School Commissioners appointed or the southern part of Pickering were: Rev. James Lambie Wm. Dunbar Francis Lerp George Barclay George Barclay inspected schools all over the Township. There were soon to be built, besides the old log schools listed in the Pioneer Days Section of this book, Dunbarton School, Base Line School, Brock Road School, Pickering Village School, and Union School on the Whitby-Pickering Townline. These all drew children from huge areas and they remained the only schools on the lakefront until the 1950's. The following By-laws, recorded in the Minute Book, at Brougham, show us how the Public School system was set up: By-law - Moved by Mr. Annis - That the Committee on Education be instructed to enquire into the suject of assessing the County for the erection of Grammar Schools. By-Law - Whereas it is necessary under the provisions of the Common School Act in order to entitle the several Townships of the County of York to certain sums of money out of the legislative grant for the payment of legally qualified teachers, to assess the several Townships in sums equal, at least, to the sums apportioned, after allowing for probable defalcations and the expense of collection. (1) Be it therefore enacted by the Municipal Council of the County of York, that there be raised, levied and collected, for the payment of qualified teachers upon the inhabitants of the several Townships of the County of York, in addition to all other rates and assessments, the sum of 2,279 Pounds, 3 Shillings 7 pence, together with 7½% added to the amount to cover the expenses of collection and defalcation being the gross amount apportioned to the several Townships, and the said sums, so to be collected from the rateable inhabitants of the several Townships and shall be paid as all other County rates are paid by the several Townships Collectors into the hands of the County Treasurer. Schedule for Pickering, 156 Pound, 10 Shillings, 6 ? Pence. By-law - 1850 - By-law 12 passed, Aug. 31st, 1850. To divide the County of York into School Circuits, and for other purposes therein mentioned. Whereas it is expedient for the better management and more efficient supervision of the Common Schools within the jurisdiction of this Council, to divide the County of York into School Circuits, and to provide for the appointment of local school superintendents, and sub-treasurers of school monies therein, the several electoral ridings be constituted school circuits. Levy 105 Pounds on each circuit to pay 100 Pounds salary to inspector and cost of collection. By-law - Passed - 1856 Clergy Reserve - money now accrueing and available, shall be divided among the several school sections in proportion to numbers of resident ratepayers.