The History of Placer County, 1882, p. 264 gives the following account of the beginnings of the Ophir School. "The first school was private, taught by a Mrs. Long, in a private house. Mrs. Horton taught the first public school in 1856. . . .About this time, it is supposed, a school house was built. In 1874 an additional room was built for the accommodation of an assistant teacher. On the first Saturday of September, 1874, the school house burned down. All its contents, including a library of 350 volumes, an organ and some new desks, were destroyed. This building stood on Crater Hill. The citizens immediately raised money and built another school house nearer the center of the town. This is situated in the center of a fine yard covered with a natural growth of oak. The building is 24x48 feet in size, with an ante-room 10x20 feet. There are two departments - grammar and primary - and each room is well supplied with patent furniture, charts and maps. R. D. Faulkner is the Principal. In his room, 43 pupils are enrolled; 48 can be seated. The primary school is taught by Mr. L. A Billett, with an attendance of fifty. The seating capacity is 54. There are 180 volumes in the library. . ."

The account of the Ophir School becoming a public school in 1856 is substantiated by the records of the Placer County Office of Education. However, in the "Placer Herald" of January 7, 1854, the following was noted under Common School Money: "The Supt. Of Public Instruction, J. G. Marvin, Esq. has made up a statement of the amount of money due in the various counties in the state for school purposes. Placer County receives $529.59 of which the Ophir district gets $267.59 and Auburn district the balance. . .

A third school building was built in 1927, with two classrooms added in 1951 on the south side. In 1963, the 1927 portion was replaced with the present building. Gerald Culbertson was principal when the new building was constructed. He had written a thesis on "Boomtown to Small Town," about the early history of Ophir for his Masters.

The school was always and remains, the community meeting place for many events.