The area northeast of San Antonio was settled by German and Mexican immigrants in the mid-1800s. It was a rural area largely populated by small farms and smaller towns, far beyond the outskirts of the “big city.”
To provide a good education for their children, by 1877 the community had established its first school – Lower Valley School, a two-room schoolhouse which served the community for 89 ye
ars. The small school was home to countless students from both the immigrant German and native Hispanic populations, but all came from families dedicated to making their way in the young nation. After the school merged with the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District in 1966, Mr. Watts, teachers at Lower Valley School for 25 years, purchased the schoolhouse and lived in the adjacent teacherage until they died. From 1941 to 1966, Maxine Watts taught 1st through 4th grade in one room, while Lutrell Watts used the other room to educate 5th through 8th graders. The Watts never had children of their own, but dedicated their lives to the children of this community. Since the 1960’s, the two-room schoolhouse has fallen into disrepair. One recent news article even wondered why developers hadn’t bulldozed the dilapidated building (San Antonio Express-News, August 14, 2007). After the Watts’ deaths in 2003 and 2006, the heirs of their estate generously donated the schoolhouse and all of its contents to Northeast Lakeview College during summer 2007. the Lower Valley School (est. 1877) now sits and awaits restoration to begin its new life as a living example of education in Texas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the newest higher educational institution in San Antonio and Texas, Northeast Lakeview College (est. 2007) has an important opportunity – to reclaim part of Texas’ heritage. Renovation of the Lower Valley School building is a concrete, strategic implementation of the positive changes taking place at Northeast Lakeview College. The Lower Valley School project will yield countless returns as the new College becomes a part of the fabric of the community. The general public and people arriving on campus will recognize Northeast Lakeview College’s dedication to commemorating the community’s history while at the same time fulfilling its commitment to providing state-of-the-art education to boost the community’s economic future. Northeast Lakeview College requests that the Directors of the Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation seriously consider a grant of $100,000 to assist in the renovation of the building. Restoring the two-room schoolhouse into a living history museum would be a natural extension of the Kleberg Foundation’s priorities in funding higher education, historic preservation, and arts and museum programs. At your discretion, a large area in the schoolhouse would be named to honor the Kleberg Foundation and its Directors. Donor recognition walls will be prominently displayed in each classroom, and many other naming and recognition opportunities are available as well. (Please see the Naming Opportunities Attachment.) The funds of the Alamo Community College District funds are reserved for common initiatives – its funds are reserved by charter for the education of enrolled students. Therefore, Northeast Lakeview College looks to the community and other private funding sources for financial donations, contribution of artisan and craftsmen talents, and gifts of restoration materials to create a unique educational setting for citizens and generations of children. Contributions are needed to fund two phases of the project. Phase I centers on the moving and restoration of the structure. Support will be sought from local community leaders for cash and in-kind gifts, as well as funding from San Antonio and Texas foundations for the immediate financial needs of the project. Phase II focuses on program development and the long-term needs of the school, including operation and maintenance. An endowed fund for the schoolhouse will be established and built to support its on-going expenses. Contributions to the endowment will stem from a variety of sources:
• The nominal visitors’ fees charged to schools and the public, as well as the users’ fee charged to groups using the conference room;
• Proceeds from the sale of prints of the 1955 primitive art oil painting of the school and teacherage acquired by the College;
• Appeal for support from former Lower Valley School students; and,
• Appeal for support from the wider community. All services will be purchased or procured through the established bid process used by the Alamo Community College District and Northeast Lakeview College. The College operates under a purchase order system for any and all purchases of supplies, contractual services, rentals, leases, and/or equipment. This purchase order system is clearly stated in its Business Procedures Manual, as produced by the Vice President of Business and Finance in conjunction with the ACCD Board of Trustees. Benefits to the Community
According to the One-Room Schoolhouse Center website, 23 universities and one community college—John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois—in the country are home to authentic rural schoolhouses. Most of the schoolhouses serve as living history museums which serve as a day-long field trip destinations for elementary students. Northeast Lakeview College will be the only institution in the state of Texas to have an authentic rural schoolhouse on its campus. The building is now placed in a location that is visible to passersby and to individuals driving onto the Northeast Lakeview College campus. Restoring the Lower Valley School building will provide a number of benefits to the Promote the positive impact and value of the Alamo Colleges to the community and the surrounding service area;
• Demonstrate an appreciation for and commitment to the community and its history;
• Celebrate the heritage of the people who settled the area in the 19th century;
• Give Northeast Lakeview College a historical perspective;
• Allow Northeast Lakeview College to develop a college outreach program that will educate young people and get them excited about education; and,
• Provide local professional groups a setting for meeting in a culturally-rich environment. Once renovation and restoration are complete, the schoolhouse will serve as a museum for the public and as a living history experience for 4th grade students. Local children will attend a full day of school as it was in the late 1800’s, far removed from computers and iPods: dressing in period clothes, bringing their lunch in lunch pails, reading from McGuffey Readers, and playing early versions of schoolyard games. The second, adjoining classroom will be designed as a small museum to house documents, photographs, and artifacts about early Texas education which were donated with the schoolhouse. Children will be exposed to a modern college campus and be made aware of the opportunities a college education can provide. In the process, NLC seeks to raise awareness of the important part education played in the lives of Texas settlers and its continuing value today. Northeast Lakeview College currently has agreements with three school districts (Judson, Marion, and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City) to serve their fourth grade students at the Lower Valley Schoolhouse. Once the schoolhouse is renovated, NLC will seek to expand its agreements with local school districts. Students will be scheduled to attend class at the schoolhouse as a social studies field-trip destination. They will receive instruction from a curriculum aligned with state of Texas requirements for Social Studies. Approximately 3,500 students from area schools in Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe counties will visit the schoolhouse annually. Despite the growth of high-tech jobs in the local economy, College has remained outside the realm of the possible for many residents of the Lakeview community: 45% of the children in the target area are classified as economically disadvantaged, and only 21% of adult residents of the community surrounding NLC possess a Bachelor’s degree. By engaging students and their parents early, NLC hopes to increase the numbers of students who are aware of financial aid opportunities, who are aware of the quality of work expected at the college level, and who are more prepared to be good students.
