Heritage Elementary School history

They built the Etiwanda Hotel at a cost of $6,000 and by January of 1883, it was ready for occupancy.

By June 30, 1885, the Riverside Daily Press reported that the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools had apportioned $5,372 per pupil in the county school fund.

Hughes School, built in 1887, was the second school in Liberty Township.

In 1890, land was purchased at the intersection of Etiwanda and Victoria avenues.

By 1893 there were approximately 23 school-age children in La Porte, but no official school.

By 1899 the Perdew School District had merged with the Grapeland School District.

Attendance at Grapeland School continued to dwindle and in 1901, the county superintendent declared the combined districts lapsed and they became part of the Etiwanda School District.

In 1903, the first graduating class consisted of three students receiving their diplomas.

In 1909, a Baptist church was used during the week for black students and later a Methodist church was purchased for their use by the La Porte Independent School District.

In 1912, the number of families with young children continued to grow and the community needed a larger schoolhouse.

La Porte Independent School District was formed in 1916 and a new three-story red-brick building was constructed near Broadway and "C" streets which would house the bused-in additional students from Lomax and Morgan's Point.

In 1917, the student body selected orange and white as the school colors, the bulldog as the school mascot and published a one-time only yearbook Etropal, which is La Porte spelled backwards.

After 1922 when Liberty Elementary opened, Hughes School was used for a time as the custodian’s residence and for storage.

Etiwanda Elementary School Student Body 1928

Etiwanda Intermediate School Constructed in 1938

In 1939, La Porte High School began the official publication of an annual yearbook.

In 1940, La Porte Elementary was built to accommodate students in grades one through six.

In 1943, disaster struck the system in the form of "The 1943 Hurricane." The top two floors were severely damaged and were removed.

In 1948, the elementary school had a new wing added and a new Intermediate school was built.

In 1953, DeWalt Elementary was opened as a neighborhood school for black children and grades one through eight were taught in this building.

The school district purchased 44.8 acres in 1959 on "J" Street (now Fairmont Parkway) and built a new La Porte High School, housing grades nine through twelve.

History records that La Porte was not unique in the country in that its schools were segregated until the 1960's, but its transition to an integrated system was quite remarkable.

In 1963, the first fully air-conditioned school in the district, James H. Baker Elementary, was opened for students in the Fairmont Park area.

Since 1966, the district has changed boundaries, annexed several communities, and built and remodeled campuses all over the city.

In 1975, restoration of the building began; the original school bell was found in the attic at Liberty Elementary and restored to its place at Hughes School.

In 1992, the California State Legislature passed the Charter Schools Act, which allowed for the formation of independent public schools that were free from many of the bureaucratic burdens placed on regular district schools.

In 1996, under the guidance of our founder, Dennis 'Coach' Snyder, Escondido Charter High School received its charter and began operations in a business park with 60 students.

In fall 1997, five buildings were opened, including two high schools, an early childhood center, a relocated freshman school, and a third junior school.

For the 2003-04 school year, an additional elementary school and junior school were opened along with a new Central Office.

Following completion of the new Escondido Charter High School campus, the Escondido Union School District granted a charter for Heritage K-8 Charter School, which opened its doors in 2004 on what was previously the Escondido Charter High School campus.

Phase Two of the project was completed in 2007 with the addition of a 400-seat theater and gymnasium complex.

In 2010, Heritage Digital Academy Middle School was chartered by the Escondido Union School District to better serve middle school parents and students who were interested in a technology-focused, blended learning curriculum.

In 2016, Heritage K-8 Charter School added a Flex Learning program - Heritage Flex Academy - that was aimed at serving parents and students who had a preference for home schooling, but who wanted to be enrolled in the public school system.