All About CES
by Terri Cobb
February 01, 2007
History of C.E.S. Site
The present site of Childress Elementary School has been used for education of Childress students for over 100 years. A brick, three story building was erected there around 1900. This building was Childress High School until 1926 when a new high school was built north of the courthouse. The building at this site became Childress Junior High. Grade school pupils from southeast Childress also had classes there.
A fire destroyed the original building in the 1930's. A new brick building was built by WPA men in 1938 to 1940.This building replaced the original building and Childress Junior High continued to be housed at this location. Another fire partially destroyed the new building in the early 1940's. The damage was repaired and the school was called Lamar Junior High.
In 1960 a new high school was built. High school classes were moved to this building and the Junior High School classes were moved to the 1926 high school building. Lamar Junior High became Lamar Elementary School. Other elementary schools operating in Childress at that time were Robert E. Lee Elementary in the southwest part of town, Wilson Elementary in northwest Childress and East Ward on 5th Street in the northeast. Gradually these schools closed until only Lamar Elementary and Wilson Elementary remained.
In 1980, a 13 classroom building was constructed just west of the Lamar building. When it was completed Wilson Elementary was merged with Lamar Elementary and all elementary education was conducted at Childress Elementary School. A library was built and the old and new buildings were merged in 1983. In 1985 another 5-room addition was made on the west side of Childress Elementary. Additional classrooms were added and the original cafeteria was expanded to accommodate the large number of students in 1998-1999.
Several generations of Childress youth have been educated on the site of the Childress Elementary School and this site will continue to serve this purpose for future generations.
