West Aurora School District 129 history

Oak Street School is renamed Mary A. Todd School in honor of a member of the second graduating class (1871), who was a math and drawing teacher as well as principal.

Oak Street School burned down on November 7, 1906, but was rebuilt in 1907. It cost $45,000 to construct and opened in January 1885.

At that time District 4 was renumbered to District 129. It was during this period, in 1902, that a statewide reordering of the school district system was put into effect to create more efficiency in tax collection.

Bottom: Oak Street School, c.1905.

In 1906, a three-story West Aurora High School was constructed at the corner of Galena Boulevard and Blackhawk Street.

The West High band formed in that year and appeared at the Thanksgiving football game in 1922.

1927 Fire destroys Mary Todd School.

In 1936, West adopted its Blackhawk nickname.

The high school existed on this site until 1953, when the building became the district’s junior high school.

The Class of 1954 was the first class to graduate from the school.

In 1970, West Aurora became one of the first schools in the state to create a Sports Boosters organization, as well as to support girls’ athletics.

At the beginning of the 20thcentury, a new educational idea was born in the nation. It served at first as the high school and then later as the district’s first junior high school, then was sold in 1978 and became a private school.

In 2004, a new field house, classroom wing and choral space were added.

The United States Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps was established in 2014 and quickly achieved national honors in drill team competition.

Subsequent new owners, unable to develop the building for other uses, virtually abandoned it and it was demolished in 2015.

In 2016, the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley partnered with the A+ Foundation for West Aurora Schools in preserving the history of West Aurora School District 129.