Our History

It all started in 1865...

The Ebe Family came across the plains in covered wagons and settled near here about 1865. In 1874, Mr. Henry Ebe, newly settled, donated two acres of land to San Joaquin County for a school in this area. In exchange for this, he required that the school be given the name “New Jerusalem.”

Mr. and Mrs. Ebe were Dunkards. They raised eleven children who went to New Jerusalem School. Mr. Ebe also served as Trustee for the school.

Mrs. Reynolds was New Jerusalem’s first teacher. She had a five year tenure in 1879, at which time there were 21 boys and 17 girls registered at the school, for a total of 38. Average daily attendance was eighty-four percent. At that time there were 14 children in the school district under the age of 5.

New Jerusalem School has had a long tradition of quality education. The school reflects the area’s strong sense of community.

Many of the grandparents, and even great-grandparents, of today’s students attended NJS. Both parents and the community as a whole strongly support the teachers, administration, Board and staff.

New Jerusalem is a “country” school, both geographically and culturally. This means that we adhere to traditional values including emphasizing student responsibility and resourcefulness, treating one another with dignity and respect, involving and communicating with parents, and maintaining high academic standards within a caring and thoughtful environment. We like to think of ourselves as a “school family.”