About

MISSION STATEMENT

Salinas City Elementary School District's mission is "Students are the focus of our work". In support of this, Lincoln Elementary School focuses three (3) R's: Respectful, Responsible, Ready to Learn.

Lincoln Elementary is a professional learning community that holds student achievement as its primary focus. Our vision is that through shared accountability for all of our students throughout the school, a strong core instructional program, research validated intervention programs, and a well-developed program improvement process we will become an exemplary school in serving our student population and community. Team members will ensure that every student learns grade level curriculum and is supported in her/his need for assistance in meeting California content standards as they reflect the Common Core Standards. We are a caring and committed staff who will regularly reflect upon:

• Breaking down barriers that impede school-wide teamwork between all members of our school community (including parents)

• Essential learning goals and curricular content

• Successful instructional strategies and techniques

• Analysis of student need to drive instruction and positive behavior support

• Professional development to exemplify education as a life-long opportunity

• Social development as a key to becoming caring and conscientious citizens

EARLY HISTORY OF LINCOLN

The Story of Salinas' First School

The history of Lincoln School begins in 1870 with the construction of the first school in “Salinas City” (as it was called at the time). Known as the “East End School", it was a two-room, two-story lathe and plaster building on the southeast corner of Front and Alisal streets, which was later expanded to accommodate more students. The population of Salinas was only about 600, but was growing quickly and soon a second school was needed. The West End School was built in 1874, and for many years these two schools served children living on the east or west sides of Main St. respectively. Sometime after 1900, the name of the East End School was officially changed to Lincoln School.

View of Main Street, Salinas City, ca. 1906. Detail from panoramic photo in the Library of Congress American Memory Collection. Click on image to see it with better resolution.

Second and third grade students from Lincoln (East End) School, 1919-1920. Teacher is Josephine Decarli, who would become the first principal of the new Lincoln School. Photo donated by Arline Andersen, published with permission of the Monterey County Historical Society, all rights reserved.

The "New" Lincoln School

The rise of agriculture in the Salinas Valley in the 1920’s led to rapid population growth and the need for larger schools. On Armistice Day, November 12, 1924, the beautiful building we now know as Lincoln School was inaugurated on California Street. The original building had only 8 rooms, and the corridors were open to the inner courtyard. Later, the building was expanded on the south end and the corridors were enclosed. The old East End/Lincoln School was demolished and the site became a park, a lumberyard, and now the Tynan Village apartment complex. On the same day in 1924, Roosevelt School was inaugurated at the site of the old West End School, and for many years these served as the two elementary schools for the City of Salinas.

The new Lincoln School's first kindergarten class, 1924-1925. Teacher is Marie A. Brown. Photo donated by Arline Andersen, published with permission of the Monterey County Historical Society, all rights reserved.

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