“We’re smart strong and brave.” These are not just words. They are a motto at Kimball Elementary School. Here at Kimball Elementary School poet-athletes write history with DC SCORES.
Kimball Elementary School wants to welcome everyone. It is a brand new digital space for the community. Kimball is a nationally recognized STEM school. It commits to providing children with the realest education. The school thanks DCPS. DCPS provides the opportunity to serve the community. It is a traditional by-right public school.
Kimball Elementary School’s vision is clear. It aims to be the bridge. This bridge unites the community and the world. It inspires creative thinking learning and leading. This is achieved through commitment to P.R.I.D.E. It also includes academic excellence known as W.A.T.E.R.
Let’s step back in time. In 1935, a community group wanted a school. It was the North Randle Highlands Community Citizens’ Association. They asked for two temporary wooden structures. These were called portables. The need for a school was immediate. By the spring of 1936, two portables were ready. They stood at Minnesota Avenue and E Street SE. Back then, it was the North Randle Portable School.
But the association didn’t stop there. They wanted a permanent building. The fight lasted six long years. The portables became crowded. The student population grew. Development in the community increased the numbers.
The association members were persistent. They petitioned the Board of Education. They also contacted the Budget Bureau and District Commissioners. Letters were written. Resolutions were made. Newspapers were encouraged to write about the unsafe conditions. The association president even testified before a House Appropriations subcommittee. Students wrote an open letter to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. It appeared in a community newspaper.
Finally, in 1941, land was acquired. The location was the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and Ely Place. The Board of Education made a decision. The new school would honor Dr. Ephraim Gardner Kimball. He was a former supervising principal.
Construction started in the fall of 1941. Kimball Elementary School opened in 1942. At that time, it was a school for white students. Miss Dorothy Lewis was the first principal.
Even with the new building, problems persisted. Kimball Elementary School remained overcrowded. The portables continued to be used. Makeshift classrooms popped up. They were in stairwells and storage closets. Lower grades attended in shifts. This was the only way to accommodate all students.
The North Randle Highlands Community Citizens’ Association pushed for an addition. The Board of Education approved it in 1944. But no funds were allocated.
Frustration grew among the principal teachers and parents. The Randle Community Citizens Association petitioned Congress. They also contacted the District Communicator. They wanted funding for the addition. There were many delays.
In December 1945, the Kimball Parent-Teacher Association organized a strike. Parents kept their children home for a day. They picketed the building. They protested the crowded conditions. Four PTA members met with the Assistant Engineer Commissioner. They discussed their concerns.
Finally, construction was completed in 1949. The addition was ready for the new school year. However, overcrowding continued. Birth rates increased. More housing developments were built.
In 1950, a new junior high school was built. It was for white students. Sousa Junior High stood at Ely Place and 37th street. It was only half full. Six classes moved from Kimball to Sousa. These classes were called the Kimball Annex. The Kimball Annex closed in June 1960.
The Supreme Court outlawed school segregation in May 1954. The Board of Education adopted an integration policy. Schools began to desegregate. The community’s racial makeup changed. White families moved out. Black families moved in.
The student population kept growing. More housing developments appeared near Kimball Elementary School. Once again, the school was overcrowded. Makeshift classrooms reappeared.
A third addition was built in 1966.
The school population started to decline in the 1970s. In 1972, boundary changes occurred. Students transferred to the new Weatherless Elementary. The youth population declined. Families moved from the city. The enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year was 348.
The school underwent modernization. It started in the summer of 2017. It was completed in the fall of 2018. During this time, classes were held at a temporary location.
Kimball Elementary School’s story is one of community advocacy resilience and change. From temporary portables to a modern STEM school Kimball has always adapted. It continues to serve its students and community with P.R.I.D.E. and a commitment to academic excellence.