Roosevelt Elementary School

Roosevelt Time Line

1852: Olympia School District (OSD) opens its first school

1884: OSD's enrollment exceeds 600 students

1884: Wood-framed school built on west side of Olympia

 1893: "Substantial" school built on corner of Madison and Rogers at a cost of $15,000

1897: School year increased from six to nine months

1908: September, Wood-frame Roosevelt school completed. Cost $4,000

1908: Two-room addition to Roosevelt completed. Cost $3,338

1910: Textbooks provided by the district for the first time

1912: Parents successfully petition to bring electricity to Roosevelt 

1912: Roosevelt installs outside toilets

1918: Parents successfully petition to bring gas, and extra electrical outlets to Roosevelt

1918: Parents bring two hot plates to Roosevet

1923: Second Roosevelt completed (The "Stucco Building). Cost $29,559

1925: Parents unsuccessfully petition to have transportation provided for children beyond the two-mile limit

1930: Bus transportation provided by district on a steady basis 

1930: (Circa) Herman Pfeiffer becomes Roosevelt Principal

1930: Roosevelt receives a portable

1940: Herman Pfeiffer, longtime principal, resigns. Walter Ingle appointed Roosevelt principal.

1945: Walter Ingle named Lincoln Principal. Wilfred Reeves named new principal at Roosevelt.

 

 

1946: Parents convinced school board that Roosevelt was overcrowded and that a new school should be built.

1949: Third Roosevelt completed. This was the first elementary replacement. Cost $491,080

1949: Enrollment at Roosevelt increases 47% from 269 in 1948 to 395 in 1949

1949: Teacher salaries double to $2,550 (New teachers)

1949: 7.1 Earthquake hit Olympia at 12:00 noon. Children sent home for rest of the day

1952: New addition to Roosevelt. Cost $154,524

1954: Roosevelt became first OSD school to provide parent-teacher conferences (1954-55 school year).

1954: Roosevelt completes a playshed

1954: Heating plant installed in the building. Old Roosevelt torn down.

1954: Roosevelt deemed "best equipped elementary school" in the district.

1955: Zonta Club sends a check for $221.55 to purchase equipment for the "Special Room" at Roosevelt.

1962: Joyce Gillie takes over as principal from Bill Reeves.

1972: Discarded University of Washington "Astro-turf" was used as new carpeting in Roosevelt hallways.

1977: Joyce Gillie leaves Roosevelt in June 1977.

1977: John Weber becomes new Roosevelt principal.

1982: Dale Lien becomes new Roosevelt principal.

1987: Larry Ash becomes new Roosevelt principal.

1989: New Roosevelt School opens

1992: Britt Nederhood becomes Roosevelt Principal

1995: Sandra Treich-Shipman Principal.

1996: Mike McDonald becomes new Roosevelt Principal.

1998: Success For All (SFA) Reading Program adopted.

2006: Domenico Spatola-Knoll becomes new Roosevelt principal.

2008: Roosevelt becomes a "School of Distinction", one of only 83 state-wide.

2008: 100 Year Assembly, with unveiling of 100 Photograph. (March 12.)

 

If you have any other items for our Roosevelt Time Line, or know the whereabouts of the old Roosevelt bell, we would love to hear from you! Please email the principal, Domenico Spatola-Knoll at dsknoll@osd.wednet edu, or telephone 360.596.6700. Thank you!