Liberty Elementary School has the distinction of being Murray City School District’s (MCSD) oldest and last remaining original school from when the District was founded in 1906. In fact, within a month of its establishment (January), the original three-story, single-classroom Liberty School was dedicated as the third school in the District (Arlington and Pioneer Schools being the other two).
The school’s current location is on the same plot of ground but has been renovated (and even demolished in the 1980s) many times and no longer resembles the first structure. In its earliest years, Liberty offered an education to students in grades 1 to 8. However, due to strict graduation requirements in public schools, most students left school after sixth grade.
In 1917, Murray established a junior high and high school, which relegated Liberty and other elementary school services to grades 1-6. In 1930, the Liberty Parent-Teacher Association successfully petitioned the Board of Education to install electric lights at the school so that the community could use the school’s assembly room at night.
In 1939, Liberty received a portion of bond funding to finish its basement for additional classrooms, a kitchen, and a cafeteria. But by the early 1950s, there were concerns the school was unsafe and over-crowded, so the District added a new 10-classroom single-story wing to the building with a breezeway that connected the two. That, along with new schools, Grant and Longview, helped take the pressure off Liberty’s size.
Liberty’s age again became a prominent issue in the 1980s, and by 1988 the original 1906 structure was demolished and replaced with the current building. There is, however, one final relic that is still on display at the current school – a bell that was hung in the front tower used to signal the start of school. The bell was silent for many years after the original building was replaced until it was brought out and rung for its centennial celebration in 2006.
Today, Liberty Elementary is the smallest school in Murray, with an enrollment of about 275 students. But its tradition and quiet, friendly setting are highly treasured by its families. Parents actively participate in the school’s community council and the local Parent Teacher Association, part of Region 19’s (Murray) PTA organization. They also support the school’s rich tradition, events that celebrate student achievement and performance, and lots of engaging after-school activities.
Liberty employs award-winning teachers, support professionals, other staff, and an administrator. The school’s principal is Shana Mondragon. You can learn more about the school and its faculty and staff at: https://liberty.murrayschools.org
