The first school in Ironton was established in 1849. The classes were held in the Berdaine Blake house on Front Street. In 1850, the “Pioneer” school building was built. Pioneer was featured two classrooms. The first school board was elected the following year and featured many prominent men of the time. The board included John Campbell, John Peters, James Kelly, W. D. Kelly, S. R. Bush and Thomas Murdock.
The first brick school house was built in 1854 and named Union. During the nineteenth century, many other school buildings were built: West Ironton – 1854, Central – 1855, Lawrence Street – 1867, Kingsbury – 1888, Lombard School – 1893 and Whitwell - 1894. Ironton Schools went built even more buildings in the twentieth century: Central – 1908, Lombard – 1915, Ironton High School – 1922, West Ironton – 1937, Campbell – 1937, Ironton Junior High – 1958, Lawrence Street – 1959, Whitwell – 1959, and Kingsbury - 1961.
In 1977, Ironton consolidated their schools resulting in the closings of three schools. Lawrence Street School was leased to St. Lawrence Central Catholic School Board. Central School was leased to the CAO for a headstart. Lombard was leased and eventually bought by the Open Door School.