About our School

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*l884 - An 8 room, two-story building with a basement was erected in block 20, bounded by Sycamore, Kimball, Fifth and Sixth Streets. The cost was $20,000

*1951 -The building was condemned by the State Fire Marshal. The city of Grand Island bought the site for $25,000, tore down the building, and created a city park.

*l952 -Citizens of Grand Island passed a $4,000,000 bond issue to replace two elementary schools, Howard and Platt, with one building; build a new senior high; turn the old senior high into a junior high; add on to the present junior high; build additions to elementary schools as needed; and purchase future school sites on the edge of the city.

*l954 -On February 5, l954 the new building opened. It was attached to Walnut Junior High School at 502 West 9th. Aparade of students and staff walked from the old school to the new school. The cost was $30l,740 which was $13.70 per square foot. After 70 years of use the old Howard School building was abandoned. Important features of this modern facility included: (1) an attractive, inviting lobby complete with a fireplace; (2) natural lighting provided by large windows to the north and glass panels between classrooms and hallways; (3) self-contained classrooms complete with toilet facilities, sinks with drinking fountains, work counters, and exits to the playground; (4) corridors with special boxes for growing plants on the south sides of the classrooms and equipped with a mitten drier in each cloakroom; and (6) temperature control systems that could be adjusted in each room.

*l955 -Walnut Junior High moved and the building became completely Howard Elementary. Miss Mildred Moore was principal of Howard and Platt from 1955 through 1958, and retired from her position at Howard in the spring of 1963.

*l957 -Platt Elementary, located at the corner of Cleburn and Seventh Streets, closed and combined with Howard. Kindergarten through 2nd grade students came in l957 and all others joined in l958.

*l958 -The east wing was added to the building. It consisted of six classrooms, a special education room and a library. The cost was $142,433 plus $3,349 for the Walnut building demolition. One gym was salvaged and remodeled.

*1968 -A media center, made possible by a $50,000 grant through the Elementary and Secondary Act, was opened. It was named Project Impact and represented a comprehensive collection of books, films, filmstrips, sound tapes, records, and pictures in an integrated card catalog. This center, under the direction of media specialist, Mrs. Irene Klanecky, and principal, Gene Schneberger, was visited by educators from states west of the Mississippi during the next five years. This was the beginning of a systematic development of media centers throughout the entire school system.

*1969 -Space was leased in Trinity Methodist Church for a kindergarten class due to overcrowding.

*1975 -The Tire Climb built by the PTA was featured in Kid's World Magazine.

*1978 -Mrs. Bessie Frith, former Starr Principal, came to Howard when Mr. Schneberger transferred to Stolley Park.

*1980 -A project to house special education students from Connell added classrooms and a new media center, remodeled the east wing to meet the students' special requirements, and made the building barrier-free. Energy-efficient window systems and a climate controlled heating and cooling system were also installed. An English as a Second Language, ESL, program was added due to an influx of students from southeast Asia.

*1981 -A building project added four classrooms. The east wing was remodeled to meet special education requirements and the building was made barrier-free. Energy-efficient window systems and a climate controlled heating and cooling system was installed. The cost was $613,130 and it opened for students in January, 1981.

*1993 -Grand Island citizens passed a $28,600,000 bond issue which included remodeling and the building of a new gym which was added to the northeast corner of the school.

*1995 -Ground was broken in October for the new gym and remodeling began.

*1996 -The addition and remodeling was almost completed in time for the opening of the school year. At the end of the 1996-97 school year, Mrs. Bessie Frith retired as principal and was succeeded by Mrs. Denise McCown.

*1997 -In August of 1997 the Grand Island Public School District made the transition to a K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 school district. Our sixth graders would then attend Walnut Middle School, formerly known as Walnut Jr. High. In the classrooms left vacant by the change, two Headstart classrooms, moved into our building. The three-year-old class was strictly Spanish speaking, while the four-year-olds took part in the ESL program, beginning to learn English as a second language. Another change at Howard this school year was all-day kindergarten. As a result of Howard School becoming a school-wide Title 1 building, the staff elected to use one of its Title teachers as a Kindergarten teacher.

*2001 -Howard received a grant through Nebraska Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Projects. The grant provides professional development through a comprehensive reform effort supported by Co-nect professionals. For more information visit our Co-nect pages.

*Information for this history of Howard School came from personal interviews with Bessie Frith, former principal, and from the books, A Brief History of the Grand Island Public Schools, Grand Island, Nebraska by Earle W. Wilson, former superintendent of schools, 1957, and GRAND ISLAND, Public Schools' History, 1955-1991, by Gerald D. Bryant, 1992.