The first school in Dunsford was a log cabin built in the 1830s. The floor was made of mud. This school was located on the corner of the current park in Dunsford, and remained the community's school until 1881 when it was replaced with a red-brick standard schoolhouse with three windows down both sides and a porch on the west.

This brick schoolhouse was located at approximately 1976 Sturgeon Road. At some point the building was torn down.

Around 1912, an acre or more of land was purchased from Silas Thurston on Lot 5, Concession 3, on which a new school was built in 1914. This new schoolhouse had a slate roof, a bell in the belfry, and a basement with indoor toilets, sinks, and pumps to bring water to the school.

Former pupil, Dick Thurston, living and working in Oregon, heard about the construction of the new school, and sent trim made by his lumber business. The trim traveled to Dunsford by railway, first to British Columbia, then to Ontario, and finally to Dunsford to grace the doors, windows and wainscoting in the cloakroom, teacher's rooms and classrooms.

This school remained in operation until 1969. At that time all elementary children were bussed to Bobcaygeon until 1978 when the new Dunsford District Elementary School was opened.

This schoolhouse was sold at public auction to Max Kennedy for $8,500, and as of 1973 was being used as a private home, but in the years since, the building is no longer there.

Information on this page is excerpted from this essay about the early history of Dunsford's school and pioneer life written in 1969 by Anna Thurston (Mrs. Wallace Thurston), and from Educating Victoria County: A local history of public education by Ralph Robinson, 1987.