As many are looking forward to graduation ceremonies at Culver High, here is a little trip back to a time when a high school was but a dream. In this August, 1948 edition of the Evening Star News (precursor to the Culver City News), the paper is filled with anticipation for local educational institutions. At that time, Culver City residents attended Culver City schools for elementary education, which educated locals from Kindergarten through eighth grade.
In the early days, La Ballona, our first area school, offered a one-room school-house, which operated seven months of the year in 1865, because the children were a part of the rancho agrarian society. Generally, the education of young women ended at that point- eighth grade. The young men who were able to continue their education, attended nearby Alexander Hamilton High School or Venice High School.
Locals were excited to learn that Culver City would soon have their own high school. The newspaper read “ The Culver City School District took a long step forward toward the establishment of a high school in Culver City this summer when petitions were signed asking for an election requesting a high school district here.” It went on to cite an election “to be held before Feb. 1, 1949.” Other news on education was boldfaced to add, “A $1,6000,000 bond issue was voted, providing funds for the construction of a new elementary school at Farragut Drive and an intermediate school (junior high, now middle school) to be constructed on a site adjacent to the elementary school. The bond issue also provided funds for improvements at the other four schools in the district. These included a new roof for portions of La Ballona Elementary School, black topping of portions of playgrounds at the various schools, fencing around additional playground areas, painting and redecoration of portions of some of the schools and the purchase for new equipment for the school district.”
Daniel, Mann and Johnson were named as the architects for “Farragut Drive School.” Plans were already in process, and anticipated construction was reported to begin as soon as the approvals were given by the State Board of Education and the State Architectural Board. (Schools derive their power from the state, and continue to need state, not local approvals.) The early plans included 19 classrooms, an administration building, shops, cafeteria and gymnasium building.
The end of the article states “If the high school district is approved for the district, a bond issue asking for funds to construct this portion of the program will be put before the voters next spring and the high school will be ready for classes by September, 1950. The high school, in addition to classrooms and shops, will also have two swimming pools, one for diving and the other for swimming, a gymnasium, and athletic field.”
Needless to say, Culver City has been a unified school district (offering K-12) education for some time now, and this year will mark the 50th Class Reunion for Culver High’s Class of 1962! We have come a long way!