The little country schoolhouse known as Hubbard Independent School District sits along a major highway just south of DeKalb.
Being an elementary school, no doubt anyone who drives by on U.S. Highway 259 can hear laughter and squeals from the adjoining schoolyard at intervals throughout the day.
But don't let the size of this small school fool you.
They are big on events and celebrations for the children who are fortunate enough to attend such a wonderful place of education.
This Saturday, they will celebrate their Hubbard ISD Annual Fish Fry and anyone and everyone in the community is welcome to come pig out on fried catfish and all the fixins'.
"We have a gentleman who cooks for us every fish fry," Tracey Drake, the school's superintendent, said. "From what I understand, I think it was his granddad who started this many years ago."
Randy Pirkey, the aforementioned longtime fish fry cook, is also a member of the Hubbard ISD board. His wife, Carolyn, taught at the school for 33 years and just retired about three years ago.
Randy can even remember attending these fish fries as a child when he would help out with the preparations.
"Randy's team does the hushpuppies," Drake said. "Alman Dan Atchley is the gentleman who created the famous hushpuppy recipe. He entrusted that recipe to Randy Pirkey. Now, nobody knows it but Randy Pirkey."
There will be volunteers
who cook, serve and assist with the clean-up.
"Some of the volunteers are employees' husbands. Some are people who have helped with this and volunteered for many years," Drake said.
After Speck Richardson, the famous bean cooker, passed away, Mack Shumake took it upon himself to take over the title of official bean cooker for the event.
A lot of businesses donate regularly to the annual fish fry. Businesses from DeKalb and New Boston donate monetarily or supply the school with potatoes, onions, cornmeal and flour.
"When this first started, they would fish out of the Sulphur River to catch the catfish and that's the fish they would cook for the community," Drake said.
Now, because of the event's size, the fish is ordered, but it is still cooked on the premises.
The Hubbard ISD employees volunteer to serve inside while the cooking occurs outside. This is the true definition of a community event.
But if fried catfish and hushpuppies aren't enough to whet your appetite for helping out your community school, there's another, more fulfilling reason to attend.
"A few years ago, Dr. Jason McCullough turned the event into a scholarship fundraiser," Drake said. "The profits we make go into the scholarship fund."
As an added incentive to help the children stay in school, they can return to Hubbard and apply for a collegiate or trade school scholarship after graduating from high school.
"I believe we have given out over $26,000 worth of scholarships," Drake said.
McCullough was the superintendent prior to the arrival of Drake. The scholarship fund is an added bonus for the students and community as well.
The cost per adult is only $10 and just $5 for children. The fish fry will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. this first Saturday of May as usual.
A good guess on how many people in this area support this small school could be counted at this annual event.
"We usually have about 300 that dine-in and then we probably have that many who come and get take-out," Drake said. "This community is so supportive of our school."