History

The citizens of Winnetka hold The Skokie School in special regard. The building was built in 1921 and was funded by money raised from private subscriptions. A list of the donors for The Skokie School's construction was designed into a plaque and is housed in the building.

The school was named "Skokie" because it overlooked the Skokie marshes. The Skokie School opened to junior high students in the fall of 1922. Since then there have been many major additions and renovations.

As the student population grew and educational needs changed, Carleton Washburne School was built in 1969 to house the District's students in grades 7 and 8, while Skokie housed students in grades 5 and 6. By 1980 the student population declined, allowing the fifth grade students to move to the three elementary buildings and the sixth grade students to become a welcomed part of Carleton Washburne School.

By the late 1990s, the population at Carleton Washburne School increased to 600 students. To accommodate the growth, the School Board elected to remodel and reopen the south end of the building to house the sixth grade for the 1998-99 school year. The north end of the building was refurbished to accommodate the inclusion of the fifth grade students completing the fifth/sixth grade center for the 2000-2001 school year. Carleton Washburne School opened as a seventh/eighth grade building.

The Skokie School, along with Carleton Washburne School, is part of the Washburne/Skokie Middle School campus. A fifth and sixth grade center allows us to provide a unique and developmentally appropriate educational experience to the young people of the District. The Skokie School has very deep and long-standing progressive education roots. The work of the progressive educator Dr. Carlton W. Washburne, District Superintendent 1919-1943, is not only internationally recognized, but still has a long-standing impact on our schools.