1953 - Beginning of Brookwood

Thank you to Mrs. Marlene Leffel for providing these photos and news clippings (undated, from the Hillsboro Argus), as well as Mrs. Shirley Bond's recollections.

The original Brookwood was built on 10 acres in 1953 for a cost of $318,000 ($3 million in 2018 dollars), funded by a bond issue. About 200 students were enrolled then. J.W. Poynter was the city grade school superintendent and Richard Bond was the first principal as well as a sixth-grade teacher.

Other teachers were: Mrs. Shirley Bond (AM kindergarten); Miss Maribel Suthers (first grade); Mrs. Claudine Word (first grade); Mrs. Dorothy Shaw (second grade); Miss Ilena Mead (third grade); Mr. Lester Mooberry (fourth grade); Mrs. Laura Neuman (fifth grade).

At the dedication of the school, Governor Paul Patterson was a featured speaker along with school board chair Homer Settlemier and student Tom Kilburg.

When Brookwood School's ground was purchased, it was outside Hillsboro's city limits, so a well had to be drilled. Water was plentiful, shallow, but unsuitable for school. The drillers kept going continuously and finally hit deep, abundant water - very hard water full of minerals.

In September, the school building was not finished, so children were assigned their teacher and classroom and housed at various places at Peter Boscow, B.W. Barnes and David Hill schools. Buses took them to their assigned schools. Kindergarten, one half-day session, went to the David Hill music room.

The building was completed for January, so a dedication ceremony was held in the new building in December before Christmas to eager parents, families and neighbors.

[J.W.] Poynter, superintendent, Homer Settlemier, chair of the board, and Richard Bond, principal, were on the program. Governor Paul Patterson was speaker.

Moving into the building in January, it was a sea of mud between the building wings by the patios. Cafeteria tables were folded in the mornings before lunch so that primary classes could use the space for play. By the next school year, a blacktop area and playground were ready.

As I remember, the first teachers were: Shirley Bond, AM kindergarten room 1; Miss Maribel Suthers, first grade room 2; Mrs. Claudine Word, [grade] 1; Mrs. Dorothy Shaw, 2; Miss Ilena Mead, 3; Mr. Lester Mooberry, 4; Mrs. Laura Neuman, 5; Richard Bond, 6 and principal. The following year, he became full-time principal.

Brookwood had a library, I believe a first for the district to have a real room, not a corner of another room.

In a few years, the building was expanded to include two more classroom wings and two kindergarten rooms at the rear of the building, entered off a porch and large patio.

- Shirley Bond