About

In 1877, a free school for black children was opened in a building that had formerly been used as the county courthouse. The building, located in “lower town” (North Main Street), would eventually become Lincoln School.

In 1896, another wing, including eight large classrooms and a tall bell tower, was added to Columbus. Both Columbus and Dale Schools were the work of noted area architect C.H. Spillman.

With the building of the new high school, the original 1910 building was then converted to a junior high, thus freeing up more space for the District’s growing enrollment. Students attended Columbus School through fourth or fifth grades and then moved to the nearby junior high for the upper middle and junior high grades.

The old building was razed, and a new, larger Lincoln School was built on the same North Main Street Site in 1912. A two-year high school department was also added to Lincoln at that time.

By 1921, the high school was again too small to accommodate its growing enrollment. This time the District purchased a site near West and St. Louis Streets and erected a large new high school, completed in 1925.

In 1934, the District was able to obtain another school site on the southeast side of town. The N.O. Nelson Manufacturing Company, which had operated its own Leclaire School since 1895, offered to sell the building and a four-acre site to the District for the bargain price of $1,000. The District retained the Leclaire School name and used the building as an elementary school.

Throughout this time, children in the rural areas and small towns adjacent to Edwardsville were being educated in country schools that operated as independent districts. Although these “one-room schoolhouses” flourished for many years, by 1950, the state mandated that the smaller districts consolidate with larger districts. More than 25 small rural districts would eventually opt to join forces with Edwardsville.

By the early 1950’s, the baby boom of the post World War II era was being felt in Edwardsville, and plans were made for a massive building program to accommodate the increasing enrollment. A comprehensive plan was developed, which called for additions to some buildings, improvements to others, and new buildings in the areas expected to grow.

In 1953, in need of more land for the high school site, as well as classroom and office space, the District acquired the grounds and beautiful mansion from the W.F.L. Hadley estate. The Hadleys, a prominent banking and law family in Edwardsville’s early days, had built the mansion in 1875. A new wing was added to the gracious fifteen-room mansion subsequent to the District’s acquisition of the property. It was used for many years as a primary school and the District’s central office. Today, Hadley House is still used as the District’s central office and a community meeting room.

The need for another building in the northern area continued to be a high priority. In December 1956, a proposal was made to build a new school on a donated site in Midway. This school would accommodate students from Midway, Prairietown, and Yorkville.

In the late fifties, a move began to build a new and separate junior high. A recommendation was made to locate a new junior high near the high school, in order to facilitate coordination of programs and sharing of facilities. A new building was designed and constructed on some recently acquired land adjacent to the high school.

In March 1965, the issue was put before the voters and succeeded. The new elementary school was to be located on a site at the west end of High Street. It featured the “open classroom” concept in its primary grade rooms.

After the building of N.O. Nelson School, the District again set its sights on the northern area. Continuing its plan of enlarging facilities and consolidating rural schools in that area, the District unveiled plans for a new Hamel School. Built on a 23-acre site on Route 140, the new school soon became a point of pride for the community. Hamel School opened in the fall of 1969.

While enrollment declined in the late seventies, it reversed abruptly in the mid-eighties, and an enrollment boom began. New housing developments in the Edwardsville area, combined with the District’s reputation for excellence, attracted many new residents to the District. A critical lack of space at all levels became District 7’s top concern as its record-breaking growth continued.

A small building was built on the Center Grove property in 1982 to house the offices and diagnostic center of the Region II Special Education Cooperative. This building now houses the high school’s self-contained behavioral-disorder program and the in-house suspension program.

In 1992, the District converted its elementary schools from K-6 buildings to primary and intermediate attendance centers in another effort to house its growing elementary population.

These three schools opened in the fall of 1997, helping the District provide more space for its students.

Since the end of 2001-2002, the District added nearly 500 students, placing further strain on District 7 schools. Actual growth has exceeded the historical trend data upon which projections are based. At the high school level, the District’s partnership with Lewis & Clark Community College at the Nelson Complex has helped alleviate overcrowding. The opening of Liberty Middle School has relieved the pressure at the middle school level.

The focus shifted to the elementary schools, most of which are at or near capacity. (Research shows that a range of 300-400 students is the most acceptable population size for an elementary school, though District 7 elementary school populations range from approximately 170 (Hamel Elementary) to 715 (Woodland Elementary).  The District was able to address the growth that was projected for 2004-05.

A building bond referendum was placed on the ballot in April 2007. The contingency plan if the referendum failed included boundary changes, portable classrooms, increased class sizes, and housing students in less-desirable spaces.