Lakewood Elementary celebrates 75 years as ‘the heart of the community’

Lakewood Elementary School Principal Brittany Thompson started her job during a notably tough time — the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you recall, school leaders navigated the difficult task of delivering an education to children virtually and in-person, all while many were still scared of getting sick. But what Thompson remembers is the teachers who put in the work to safely reopen the campus and juggle instructing students in their classrooms and online. She was also “in awe of this community.”

“They literally will move mountains for children and support the staff in incredible ways, and it’s just a really unique, special place,” Thompson says. “And I can’t ever imagine being somewhere else.”

Luckily for her and our neighbors, Lakewood Elementary isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“For 75 years, Lakewood has been shaped not just by the students and educators inside the building but by generations of families and neighbors who have invested their time, talents and hearts in this school,” says Kiley Crabb White, Lakewood Elementary alumna, member of a three-generation Lakewood family and 75th Anniversary chairperson, in a press release. “We want this anniversary to celebrate the people who built that legacy while helping our current students understand that they are now part of it. They are writing the next chapter of Lakewood’s story.”

Lakewood Elementary School (then a two-story U-shaped campus) was supposed to open in September 1951, but its debut was pushed to Jan. 28, 1952 because of a national building materials shortage, according to Lakewood 1925-1985: A History of the Shopping Center, which was used to source historical details throughout this article.

At the time, almost 400 students (half of its capacity) in first through seventh grades attended the new campus, with its 15 classrooms, two music rooms, two art rooms, two indoor activity spaces, plus a library, cafeteria, auditorium and gym. Before then, children could enroll at William Lipscomb Elementary and Robert E. Lee Elementary (now Geneva Heights), and neither of those options had direct bus service.

Ten acres of land had been purchased for a new school by the Dallas Board of Education in 1929, but World War II and the Great Depression delayed the process. After 20 years, Lakewood Improvement Association members asked the board to move forward on the campus. The proposal was approved by voters in the October 1949 bond election, and that freed up $520,000 to build the school at the corner of Sondra Drive and Hillbrook Street.

Lakewood Elementary was designed in the mid-century style by architect George Christensen of the Christensen & Christensen firm, which also drew up the historic bathhouse at The Cove at Samuell Grand and buildings at the Dallas Zoo. Two thousand visitors came to see the new campus at its open house in March 1952.

In addition to education, the school has been used for multiple performances, celebrations and historical events by parents and students:

• In 1962, the school was a site for free polio inoculations along with nearly 80 other Dallas schools.
• In 1976, children from Edwin J. Kiest, David Crockett and City Park elementary schools were bussed to Lakewood Elementary as part of the school district’s desegregation effort.
• In 1992, the school held an assembly for Dallas Police Department Sgt. Tony Crawford, who was shot and paralyzed near the school by teenagers after hours. Crawford’s baby daughter was given $5,000 toward her college fund.
• In 2003, the Lakewood Outdoor Learning Area was established by the Lakewood PTA and Early Childhood PTA, plus Lakewood Dads Club, through a grant from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. This has produced native plant gardens, nature trails and walking bridges on school grounds.
• In 2008, the U.S. Department of Education bestowed the Blue-Ribbon School designation on Lakewood Elementary, which qualified through high rankings on state standardized tests.
• In January 2018, the ribbon was cut on the school’s new addition with 30 classrooms, two new computer labs and a library, as well as a lower-grades playground and a sky bridge to the old building, which was also renovated. This increased capacity to 1,000 children.

By 2030, Dallas ISD is expected to renovate Lakewood Elementary as well as provide roofing, electrical and mechanical upgrades. This is part of the district’s $6.2 billion bond proposal that voters approved earlier this year. In addition, the nonprofit Lakewood LEAPS, which led the charge on installing a new sports field on campus, is fundraising for a playground that is accessible and inclusive for all children.

This anniversary is cause for celebration. Our community can tour Lakewood Elementary during its open house from 2- 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, coinciding with Lakewood Early Childhood PTA’s 50th anniversary home tour. A new Lakewood flag will be dedicated, and alumni, former educators and families can take part in the multigenerational community photo at about 2:30 p.m.

Students will participate in an assembly on Friday, Nov. 13 during the school day, not open to the general public, and write letters to their future selves for the time capsule that won’t be opened until the 100th anniversary. The students are especially excited to sing “Happy Birthday” to Lakewood Elementary on Dec. 7 (the 75th day of school), Thompson says.

Thompson and her staff have been reflecting on the past, feeling grateful for previous educators, students and families. Families and volunteers are still committed to supporting Lakewood Elementary’s students and teachers. Beyond education, Thompson called the campus “the heart of the community” and a centerpiece for Lakewood festivities and traditions.

“I think everyone here feels like they’re part of something bigger than themselves,” she says. “That sense of belonging is really what makes the community so special.”