Editing Red Bay, Alabama (section)

===Red Bay High School===

The first school in Red Bay was located where the First United Methodist Church stands today. In 1903, this school had one faculty member who was responsible for teaching, as well as most of the custodial duties. After crops were harvested, students attended school through the remainder of the fall and winter months until the spring planting season.<ref name=watts>Watts, Clara. "Franklin County Education Association Directory: 2004-2005." Franklin County Chapter, Alabama Education Association.</ref>

The second school was constructed in the early 1900s. It was located on the site that is now the location of the Red Bay City Park. It was a small building with few amenities. The school continued dismissals timed with the local harvests.<ref name=watts />

In 1927, a new school site was selected, and a new school built for $45,000. Since this construction, the location of the school has not changed. The building constructed in 1927 was a brick "U", one of the most popular school designs in Alabama at the time. Facing the school, the right wing of the "U" housed the elementary classes while the left wing held the high school. Once inside the school, after going under the stone entryway, the office of the principal was on your immediate left. A small room on the right served as the library. A large auditorium with double wooden seats that could be folded and stored was centrally located between the two wings. The building housing the home economics and agriculture departments was located on the left of the main school building. At a later date, classrooms were added to the left wing of the main building. Due to the slope of the site, a ground-level lunchroom was included in this addition. With steps leading from the hallway, the first cafeteria available to Red Bay students became operational.<ref name=watts />

Due to increased enrollment, a new high school section was completed in 1962. In 1967, the auditorium and elementary wing of the 1927 building was destroyed by fire. The disaster occurred while school was in session, but no injuries occurred. Plans began immediately to rebuild the school. A new auditorium and elementary classroom section first welcomed students during the 1968–69 school year.<ref name=watts />

In 1976, Red Bay celebrated both the nation's bicentennial and the opening of a new gymnasium. Eight years later, in 1984, a new cafeteria was ready for use in time for the school's annual football banquet. The former cafeteria was renovated providing five additional classrooms, a photography lab, and a yearbook staff workroom.<ref name=watts />

====School athletics====
Football games were first played in a pasture where the present Sunshine Homes plant is located. Later, the games were played at the American Legion Field which is the current location of Tiffin Motor Homes. Red Bay finished runner-up in football in 1974 and 1976. Following the 1976 runner-up game, there was a scandal involving Red Bay football team and coaches on alcohol abuse before the game. The football teams in the following seasons struggled to win a game, until the 1986-87 team which won the first game in years. There were players who, prior to this time, granted scholarships at Alabama and Auburn. One notable player was Van Tiffin, who went on to the [[University of Alabama]] and made his mark there by kicking a 52-yard game-winning field goal against Alabama's arch rival Auburn that is now known in Alabama's hall of fame as "The Kick". The Red Bay football teams reached state semifinals in 1990, 1997, and 2007.

Red Bay girls basketball has five state championships. Red Bay boys basketball made the final eight teams in 1995 with a 26–5 record. Red Bay's highest finish in tennis was 2008, in fifth place. Red Bay baseball was class 2A State runner-up in 1987.
[[File:Red bay city hall fire.JPG|thumb|City Hall After Fire]]