History of El Verano Elementary School

El Verano Grammar School was built in 1912. At that time, the school occupied the corner of Grand Ave (now Arnold Drive) and Verano Avenue. It was a small, four-room building with a bell that rang to welcome its students to classes. El Verano Grammar School served students in grades 1-8. Staff consisted of two teachers and a principal. 

By the 1950’s the school had outgrown its site, with 150 students and five teachers. In September of 1953, the “new” El Verano Grammar School on Riverside Drive opened its doors to students, on what was formerly tomato fields. The old school bell was brought to the new school, and is still with us today. The school cost $230,000 to build. There were 281 K-8 students who attended El Verano at that time. El Verano boasted a cafeteria that offered homemade lunches which cost $.25. In 1956, the school was expanded to include a third wing of classrooms.

El Verano occupied an important place in the community. It had a baseball and basketball team, and hosted an annual Thanksgiving fundraising dinner, which is still remembered today by former students, lasting into the 1980s.

El Verano has evolved and grown over the years to include a preschool class in 2008, and a second one in 2012. It now serves Transitional Kindergarten through fifth grade, and is home to some of our partners in the community, like the Family Resource Center, Baile Foklorico, Boys and Girls Club, a mentor center, and Vivo Orchestra. We have a garden, maintained by students, two play structures, extensive fields for students to play on, an outdoor stage, and lunch tables shaded by solar panels that help power the school. Our school colors are green and white, and our mascot is the Mustang. We offer various and revolving enrichment opportunities for students, and are proud to continue El Verano’s legacy of offering robust academic programs and instruction in a caring and supportive environment.