The first school district in the Collister area
was organized in 1910, and was known as Ada County School District
#46. The first school term opened in the fall of 1911 in a
one room wood frame building located on a one acre lot on the
west side of Collister Road, directly across from Catalpa Street.
Blanche H. Lovelace taught 56 students.
In 1912, a four room, brick with stone trim school was built
amidst a prune orchard on land donated by Dr. George Collister.
Cast iron Waterbury coal heaters heated rooms for students
in grades 1-8. By 1914, 80 students were taught by two teachers,
the Seburn sisters.
In 1922 Collister was annexed into the Boise City School District.
A hot lunch program was organized in 1940, and hot water came
to the school in 1944. By 1948 four rooms had been added to
the west side of the school. During this period, the building
was stuccoed, the basement kitchen was completed and land was
purchased on the north end of the property to extend the playground.
Six classrooms, an auditorium and an office were added to
the east end of the school in 1953, and the school grounds
were landscaped in a PTA project.
More changes took place in the 1970's. A kitchen was added
next to the gymnasium/auditorium, and counters with benches
were installed in the hallway to serve as the lunchroom. The
kitchen and lunchroom in the basement were turned into a library/media
center. In 1976 the Parent Teacher organization worked with
the District and the irrigation ditch that ran through the
playground was covered. In the 1980's, new lunch tables with
benches were purchased by the District and the gym is now used
as the lunchroom.
Recently the beautiful Catalpa Park has been added next-door
to beautify the surrounding area. This park is widely used
by Collister's families.
|