In 1890, the first school in the town of
Joshua was built, which was 40 by 60 foot
located west of the railroad tracks. The
school was closed in the early 1900s due to
the need for a larger facility.
In October 1899, Willie Denton College
opened where Staples Elementary
School is located today. Even though
the school was named a college, the
education program started at the
first grade level and continued
through the 13th grade.
On Dec. 27, 1909, the land that
Willie Denton College was located
on was turned over to the Joshua
Independent School District. In 1917,
the name of Willie Denton College
was changed to Joshua High School.
It was in 1918 that the full class of JHS
students graduated. The district celebrated
its centennial milestone during the 2017-18
school year.
County schools
Johnson County features nine school
districts and 10 high schools. Districts are
Joshua Community Guide 11
Burleson, Cleburne, Joshua, Alvarado, Ve-
nus, Godley, Grandview, Keene and Rio
Vista. Burleson has two high schools, Bur-
leson High (5A) and Burleson Centennial
High (5A). All other districts have one high
school each. Cleburne and Joshua are 5A,
Alvarado and Godley are 4A and Grand-
view, Rio Vista and Keene are 3A.
Southwestern Adventist University
For over 125 years, Southwestern Ad-
ventist University has offered Christian ed-
ucation through Knowledge, Faith, & Ser-
vice. A small comprehensive university, the
beautiful campus is located in Keene about
20 minutes south of Fort Worth.
SWAU offers personable professors, di-
verse undergraduate and graduate pro-
grams, and countless ways for students to
get involved on campus, in the community
and abroad.
With more than 90 percent of students