South Bend Township had eight one-room school buildings. They were known as Girty, Idaho, Olivet, Shoup, Stony Point, South Bend, Wherry and Zions Valley.

Over the years Wherry, Stony Point and Idaho schools were closed, and the pupils and the students were transported to the other township schools. In 1945 the schools were all closed except the four listed below and the grades were consolidated, giving each teacher two grades as follows:

 Grades 1 & 2 at South Bend............Teacher:  Mrs. Thelma Rearick

 Grades 3 & 4 at Zion Valley.............Teacher:  Mrs. Mildred Wilson

 Grades 5 & 6 at Girty.......................Teacher:  Mr. John Deemer

 Grades 7 & 8 at Olivet .....................Teacher:  Mr. Lawrence Thomas

In May, 1956, South Bend Township moved all their grades/teachers into the new Elderton Joint School.

(Mrs. Thelma Rearick from Shelocta submitted the above history of the South Bend Township schools as an article for the Elderton - Plum Creek History, printed in 1985.)