:quality(70):focal(784x476:794x486)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/27ZAIUTE2RHFXDNVX6RCIQHOPY.jpg)
As Lincoln Elementary School nears the end of its final year as an elementary school, St. Charles community members are invited to join students, alumni, families and staff for a 95th anniversary celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 10.
The event will commemorate the school’s longevity as the oldest facility in District 303 and its impact on thousands of students and staff through the years. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the historic building, view presentations, enjoy games, activities and food trucks.
An open house will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. for alumni, former staff and community members, followed by an event for everyone, including current Lincoln families, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event marks the end of the Lincoln Elementary School era, as the building will be repurposed this summer to house staff offices and transition programming, as part of several major changes to facilities approved by the board last summer to alleviate overcrowding.
Abraham Lincoln School, designed by architect Frank Brownfield Gray, opened at 211 S. Sixth St. in March 1929 where East Side School previously stood. In 2001, Lincoln underwent a renovation which added a new entrance, office space and learning resource center to the front of the building.
Lincoln will undergo renovations this summer to construct updated meeting rooms and house the District’s Transition Program, which supports students ages 18-22 in developing skills for employment and independent living.
In addition to the changes to Lincoln, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, Fox Ridge will reopen as an elementary school and the Haines Center will house Early Childhood education.
The anniversary event is being organized by the Lincoln Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
“We look forward to celebrating this historic building and the individuals it has served for nearly a century,” Lincoln Elementary School Principal Michelle Woodring said in a news release. “My sincere thanks to the Lincoln PTO for its organization of this event, which will provide students and staff, both past and present, the opportunity to join with our community for reflection and fun.”
Woodring served as Lincoln Elementary School’s Principal since 2018 and has been appointed principal at Fox Ridge Elementary School beginning next school year.