A proposed $175,000 levy to build a new elementary school for Grandview Heights was defeated in the November, 1924 elections, and the district was forced to go to half-day sessions in grades one to three. School officials and community members felt that there was a significant amount of misunderstanding, and in fact misinformation, concerning the use of the funds from the levy. Clarification was made through a widespread public relations campaign, and the issue was again placed on the ballot in November of 1925. This time it passed. The levy provided $140,000 for construction of the building and $35,000 to purchase additional property on the western side of the city. Groundbreaking took place on January 7, 1926 for the new school, which the children recommended to be called Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School.

The delay caused by the failure of the levy actually proved beneficial. The number of rooms was increased from the eight specified in the original plan to twelve because of additional need, but the cost for a building with these twelve rooms went down by $8000 because of timing of the bids. The design was also modified to allow for expansion of an additional four rooms on each end of the building, and it opened in the fall of 1926 with Mrs. Margaret Bush as principal (she retired in 1938).

Rapid growth continued in Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff. By the beginning of the 1925 school year enrollment in the district rose to 782; by June it was at 944, with 337 in the high school. Enrollment in the elementary schools alone was up by 88 students from the previous year. In the 1926 school year, there was a 44% increase on the east side alone, and by the 1927/28 school year total enrollment grew to 1218 in the district.

Below is a collection of photos, articles, notes and memorabilia that reflect the early history of R. L. Stevenson Elementary School. The banner picture above shows the school in the Fall of 1932.

For more information about the entire Grandview Heights City Schools’ history, see the section on the Home Page titled History of the Schools in Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff.