Updated September 2021
I hope to show Then and Now images of Oakland Schools in this series of posts. Along with a bit of the history of each school, I highlight. Some photos are in the form of drawings or postcards or from the pages of history books.
Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.
John Swett Elementary School
John Swett Elementary School was constructed in 1926, opened in January 1927, and closed in 2004.
The school was named for John Swett (1830–1913), who is considered the “Father of the California public school” system. He served as the 4th California State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1863-1867.
Boys Build Amphitheater
John Swett Today
The school is now a K-8 community school called Roses in Concrete.
“Our mission is to develop youth committed to lives characterized by self-discipline, integrity, love, and hope in the pursuit of justice and equity for all communities.“
Roses in Concrete – Website
More Info:
John Swett Elementary School – Oakland Local wiki
Located at 4551 Steele St, Oakland, CA, 94619
Parker Elementary School
Updated
In 1925 a new small school was being constructed at 78th Avenue and Parker Avenue near Foothill Blvd ( now MacArthur Blvd.) The Oakland school board ordered the new school be named the “Francis W. Parker” school. I have only seen it being called the Parker Avenue School or just Parker School.
Dedication
Parker School was opened and dedicated in February of 1926.
New School
Parker School was to be the first permanent building to be constructed from the 1945 school bond.
Bids for a new two-story school at the corner of Ney Avenue and Ritchie Street in April of 1948.
Dedication ceremonies were held in November 1949
Parker Today
More Info:
Located at 7929 Ney Street
- Parker School Dedicated – Oakland Tribune February 11, 1926
Roosevelt High School
Groundbreaking for a new school at 19th Avenue and E. 19th Street occurred on November 11, 1922. The cornerstone was placed on March 24, 1923. The school costs $917,452.43 to build. The school was named after Theodore Roosevelt.
The school would house about 1500 students. The dedication took place in September 1924.
In 1934 the main school building was closed (I assume due to it being unsafe).
Roosevelt Today
Roosevelt is now a middle school.
More Info:
1926 19th Avenue
- Roosevelt Dedicated – Oakland Tribune September 21, 1924
- 260 Roosevelt High School Graduates – Oakland Tribune May 21, 1930
- Roosevelt Middle School – The New Living Deal
- Roosevelt Middle School – OUSD website
Tompkins School
Tompkins School opened on January 7, 1878, at 5th and Linden Streets in West Oakland, named after State Senator Edward Tompkins. There were 231 students enrolled.
C.H Clement was the first Principal from 1877 to 1881.
Edwin Markham was the principal from 1891-1900.
Observation School
In October of 1894, Tompkins became an observation school under the supervision of the University of California Department of Pedagogy.
Many Firsts
Tompkins school was known for its many “firsts.”
- First Kindergarten – in Oakland
- First American Flag to fly – in Oakland
- First Scientific Child Study Club
- First Health Study Club
- First Observation School
- First Parents and Mothers Club
- First of the Experimental playgrounds
The first American Flag to fly over an Oakland School was raised over Tompkins in 1890.
Experimental Playground
In 1909 the first two experimental playgrounds were set up at Tompkins and Prescott Schools.
Fire Destroys Tompkins
In August of 1914, the school was destroyed by a fire. Arson was suspected. There were seven school fires in four weeks during July and August.
Plans for a new school were put in place at once. The new school opened on October 11, 1915. There was a $96,000 six-room addition added in 1924. In 1954 another addition costing $148,000 was added.
No More Schooldays
In 1965 the school was razed to make room for the Acorn Projects.
More Info:
- Fire Destroys Tompkins – Oakland Tribune August 21, 1914
- Founding and Growth of Tompkins – Oakland Tribune March 1, 1942
- Tompkins to Close – Oakland Tribune May 27, 1964
- Tompkins School Threatened – Oakland Tribune August 16, 1964
- Historic School Doomed – Oakland Tribune September 16, 1965
- Public Notice – Oakland Tribune Oct 1965
Woodland Elementary School
Woodland Elementary School started as Lockwood-Highland School. It was built to relieve the overcrowding in Lockwood and the Highland Schools.
On January 4, 1960, the school opened with 540 students. The one-story school with 14 classrooms, a kindergarten, a library, an administration office, and a teacher’s lunchroom. It was the 29th of 51 school projects proposed in the 1956 school bond election. The school costs $432 296 to build.
Dedication
A new multi-purpose building was dedicated in November of 1961. Then Municipal Judge Lionel Wilson spoke on “The Role of the Parent in the Eyes of the Judge.”
Woodland Today
Today the school is called Acorn Woodland Elementary (AWE)- At ACORN Woodland Elementary (AWE), we employ various strategies to ensure that a solid base of grade-level skills is mastered while fostering creative and critical thinking among our students.
Acorn Woodland Website – OUSD
More Info:
1025-81st Avenue Oakland
- School Opens – Oakland Tribune January 4, 1960
- Dedication – Oakland Tribune April 26, 1960
- Multi-Purpose – Oakland Tribune Nov 1961
- Woodland FIre – Oakland Tribune Jan 1969
- Woodland School – Oakland Local Wiki
Love this Do you have Montclair school?
Thank you. Montclair schools are in part 9. I went to Thornhill .
I went to Parker Elementary, just off of Foothill in east Oakland, in 1946. Your info. doesn’t work.
When you attended Parker in 1948 MacArthur Blvd (as it is known now) was Foothill Blvd. The school is in the same place the street name has changed.
Dorothy
Not 1946; kindergarten in 1947. (I started the 12th grade in 1959). Your info still doesn’t have the school functioning that soon.
Same school though. That black asphalt at the L is where I fell and bloodied my head nearly 75 years ago!
Your memory is better than my research!. I admit that sometimes I was burning the candle at both ends when doing this series. But hey, that is why I call my blog “A Bit of History.” I will be updating the info on Parker soon. I now can see the school was there in 1940. Thank You for bringing that to my attention. Dorothy
MacArthur Blvd and freeway were named to honor General Douglas MacArthur milatray contributions to World War II pre/post and overseeing the surrender of Japan. I just checked and he died in 1964. Since they typically don’t name streets/freeways for people when they are alive, it means the renaming of Foothill had to be after 1964. I-580 through, the portion we refer to the Mac Arthur freeway was not completed until 1966. Just found this, The freeway was named in honor of World War II General Douglas MacArthur. Prior to the construction of this freeway, the various city streets of Oakland that were designated for US 50 (principally 38th Street, Hopkins Street, Moss Avenue, Excelsior Avenue, and part of Foothill Boulevard) had been renamed for the General as “MacArthur Boulevard” which, for the most part, still parallels the MacArthur Freeway. The renaming occurred on March 26, 1942, by a resolution of the Oakland City Council.
As a side note the heavy truck ban on 580 pre-dates the freeway. Turns out the city of Oakland already had a truck ban in place for what was then Foothill Blvd. As a condition of the freeway being build the State agreed to grandfather in the ban. (Only truck ban in the sate from my understanding). Twenty some years ago when some of the residents of Oakland tried to get that ban removed they were claiming the ban was because the “new” freeway was cutting through the wealthier white section of Oakland and the rich whites used their influence to get the trucks banned. THANK YOU TO OAKLANDDOTS I now know that is not true. The ban pre-dates the construction of the freeway. And to make sure the ban can not be removed it’s now part of California’s vehicle code.
Oaklanddots I hope you cover Joaquin Miller Schools and the building of the Woodminster Amphitheater and Joaquin Miller Park.
Mr. Yager at Woodland BITD!
Thank you!
i went to bella vista elem. 1225 e 28th st oakland ca my kindergarten teacher was mrs ruth goodfriend. then mrs bill ist grade mrs burton 2nd grade all at bella vista elem.oakland. then in 1964 june we moved to dublin ca.we lived at 1039 e22nd st near eleventh ave in oakland ca