On May 23, 1926 bids were received for finishing and erecting a sectional school building at Garfield and West Lawn Avenues for $14,897, situated where the western part of today's playground is, facing West Lawn Avenue.   The school had six grades and in 1929 there were 234 students.  Elementary teachers were paid $900 year minimum.

The current building was built in 1936 as a 12 classroom school, including an office, health room, double assembly room (now the library), storage for books and supplies.  The 1937-38 school year was the first full time school year for this building.  It replaced the original building which was an eight room frame bulding with coal stoves in each room and primitive toilet facilities (YIPES!)  The former bulding was sold at public auction on February 23, 1937 for $182.  The current building is the fourth oldest district building currently in use.  The Berkshire Heights building was built in 1907-08; the Wilson High School was dedicated  in 1929; Lower Heidelberg Elementary was built in 1931.

In 1961, an addition was built, and included an all-purpose room, cafeteria, kitchen, music rooms, and two additional rooms for health guidance, and the physical education instructor. This addition also included new toilet facilities as well.

Currently, the West Wyomissing building has nine classrooms.  Additionally, the building houses a district child care center, an art/music room, and a computer lab.  The principal responsible for the building also supervises the Lincoln Park elementary buildings.

Wilson History Trivia  {teacher}

Did you know?...

• The District (formally Spring Township School District) owned an airplane.  After World War II, the district was encouraged to buy war surplus equipment, and in 1945 the federal government offered the district one of the airplanes used during the war for training.  It was stored along the 3000 block on Grandview Blvd. and was used by the industrial arts department classes until it was dismantled and sold for scrap iron.

• A stone octagonal schoolhouse was built in 1811 at the current Mull and Penn Avenue location.  Tuition was 3 cents/day.

• The area which constitutes the Wilson School District had many one room schools including Artz's school at Mohns' Hill, Vinemont School, Gelsinger School, Van Reed School, Kissinger's School, Spohn's School on Spohn Road, and Steffy's School located on State Hill Road near the intersection of Broadcasting Road.

• The dedication of the High School building in 1929 included an inscription on the name panel which read:  "Wilson High School, Spring Township School District."  There is no mention of where the "Wilson" came from.  It has been assumed that the building was named for President Woodrow Wilson as students were known as the "prexies," or more formally, the presidents. 

• The playground across from the current West Lawn Borough Hall used to be the West Lawn Elementary School.  In 1976, the school was sold to the community for $25,000.  The bell from the tower is housed at Spring Ridge Elementary.

• Wilson has had eight supervising principals or superintendents over its history beginning in 1927.  The first, Richard Moll, was paid a salary of $250 per month his first year.

• The Spring Township School District's graduating class of 1937 had 63 members.  The 2003 graduating class of Wilson High School had 413 members.

Information on this page compiled from Wilson School History by Alan K. Raffauf (1994)