Can a school building be a monument to history education?

That’s the concept Lexington School District 2 leaders are pondering as it undertakes the remodeling of Springdale Elementary School.
District officials demonstrated a design that would incorporate an airport hangar theme, during the District 2 School Board meeting on Aug. 18.
Springdale Elementary – which is on District 2’s plan to upgrade all schools- is within a stone’s throw of the hallowed ground where the World War II-famous Doolittle Raiders trained. Two dozen, B-25 aircraft crews played a significant part in the country’s success in the war effort. The opportunity to mark that contribution is appealing.

“We are excited about the possibility of including a historical element to the construction of Springdale,” said Lexington 2 Superintendent Dr. Bill James. “While no final decisions have been made, there are numerous elements that could be included to make the school not only a unique learning environment, but also a tribute to the community.”

District 2 staff is running numbers to see if it is feasible to remodel the school in a way that pays respect to Springdale’s link to patriotism. If so, ceilings and accents that resemble an aircraft hangar, in the front office, and in the school’s media center, would be installed.
At other places in the school, historical markers, explaining the importance of Doolittle’s Raiders, would be placed for students to read.

“One of the things we like to do is to capture and preserve some of the history of each community school” said Don Isenhower, District 2’s chief operations officer. “When we inquired about the history of the Springdale Community, it became apparent that the community has a stable population that is very supportive of the school and that the history of Doolittle’s Raiders is well embedded in the area. After meeting with a few community members, the design team immediately went to work on creating a special design that would reflect some of that history to make this school very unique.”

An effort to promote Springdale’s association with its contribution in the fight for America’s freedom is an idea Springdale Mayor Michael Bishop is in full cooperation with.
“Springdale is a special place,” Bishop said. “And our connection with the Doolittle Raiders is something we’re proud of. We’re proud of Springdale Elementary, too.

Planners are in the process of finalizing the Springdale Elementary School remodel effort. If it can be done at a reasonable cost- the school building will become a tribute to history- and an education tool, too.