Lakeside School c.1890's

Standing at chalkboard is Dorothy Whitaker, Mabel Newcomb and Edward Walker.

Class of 1909-10

Second Lakeside Grammar School occupied after fire.

 Prior to building the Lakeside Grammar School in 1890, classes were held for a time in a small shed at the corner of Sycamore (now Lakeside) and River. The property had been donated for use as a school by John Beadle. Ada Waite was the first teacher. She later became Ada Waite McClain, wife of Robert McClain. In 1890 the first grammar school was built which contained one room, and later expanded to two rooms. It was a wooden structure with a porch and cupola and housed students attending first, second and third grades. Located on Woodside and Benedict (present site of the Lakeside School central kitchen). The building burned in 1916 while graduation classes were being held at the Lakeside Town Hall. A stucco building (now the District Warehouse) had been built in 1912 and housed students in third, fourth and fifth grades in one room and sixth, seventh and eighth in another. Children from the burned building were transferred to this building. Also during this time a tent was used on this site for about one year. It had a wooden floor and wood sides three feet high. The first rain of the season caused the tent to leak and the children happily went home.

There were other small schools before the Grammar School was built. From 1890 until 1902 there was a school at Barona located just west of the present Tribal office and recreation center. Chris Duranga and Earl Fankhanel were among the students that attended school there. Another school existed at Capitan Grande Reservation, but was torn down in the early '30's. Mrs. Blatner was a teacher there.

By 1936 population increase warranted the construction of a new building with 8 classrooms, a cafeteria and office. In 1939 the first kindergarten was established with Mrs. Lenore Yakel, teacher. 1949 saw the first phase of Lindo Park construction with an addition in 1952. The next years were a period of rapid growth and called for increasing schools. In 1956 Lakeside Farms was built followed by Riverview School in 1957. Eucalyptus Hills in 1961 and Winter Gardens in 1964. In 1972 Tierra del Sol, the second Junior High School was started and for the next three years Lakeside School experienced year- round schooling.