Earlier this summer we set out to highlight a bit of the history our community offers.

Together with Robin Moss Norcross, local realtor and member of the of the Landmark Commission for the City of Dallas, we're turning a few pages of the Lake Highlands history book.

In July, we highlighted the McCree Cemetery, which hosts one of the two state historical markers found in here in Lake Highlands.

Today we're moving down Estate Lane and across Walnut Hill to the very first school to open its doors to local students.

"The first school in Lake Highlands was Lake Highlands Elementary, which opened in October of 1955," says Norcross.

"Bill Passmore, commonly known as the father of education in Lake Highlands, was both the founding principal and bus driver!"

According to research, Norcross says that LHE first consisted of just six rooms – five classrooms and an office that served as a storage and sick room, as well.

The lack of a lunchroom meant that students brought meals from home and ate in their classrooms.

"Many parents were upset to learn that LHE was in the rural Richardson Independent School District, rather than the more urban Dallas district."

"Thanks to Dr. Passmore and his exceptional staff, the parents soon were singing the praises of RISD," she says.

"RISD superintendent J.J. Pearce, a masterful educator and business man, realized the district could cut costs by building the same school structure, hence many of those early schools looked exactly the same."

Norcross shared highlights from an interview with Dr. Passmore, prior to his passing in 2007, in which he recalled a funny story from those early years.

"The grounds of the school had originally been farm land," said Passmore, "and when it rained it was a muddy mess."

"Our custodian would often have to help moms who were dropping off or picking up children get their cars unstuck from the mud."

"One morning the custodian came in with a muddy half slip that some poor mother had evidently used to get traction in the mud!"

Lake Highlands Elementary celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005 and in 2009 was the recipient of our community's second state historical marker.

Principal Kim Sullivan, who recently took home the title of RISD Elementary Principal of the Year presented by the Excellence in Education Foundation, says the good work continues in the classrooms of LHE today.

"We are looking forward to another great year," she told me at the start of the 2011-'12 school year, just three weeks ago.

"This year our focus will be on moving forward with the RISD 2020 Vision, which will have our Wildcats 'Get Smart' with a continued focus on science, math, reading and technology."

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LHE is located at 9501 Ferndale Road in Lake Highlands.

The state historical marker was researched and written by historian Sam Childers with assistance from LHE administrator Angel Cochran and Robin Moss Norcross.

Robin leads the Lake Highlands Historical Association and is a member of the City of Dallas Landmark Commission.

She can be contacted directly at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Photos courtesy of Robin Moss Norcross and Angel Cochran