Harvard Elementary celebrates its 125th birthday

Harvard Elementary School opened on September 18, 1898, and is the oldest school that is still open in the entire city of Houston.

On Sept. 18, 2023, students and teachers at Harvard Elementary celebrated the school’s 125th birthday, and invited KPRC 2 to join the festivities live.

Owen Conflenti and Cathy Hernandez spoke with the current principal, Shelby Calabrese, on the school’s legacy. Watch the entire segment from KPRC 2 News Today at 10 above.

Here are some fun facts about Harvard Elementary:

• When the school first opened, it was called The Harvard Street School.
• When it opened, a total of 30 students attended. They ranged from first to fifth graders.
• The school cost $604 to build.
• It cost 45 cents to give the teachers and students enough chalk for the entire school year.
• Tickets to the after-school plays were just five cents.

You can learn more about the school’s history here.