Remember When?
From the New Deal to the age of the internet, Westbrook is a beloved community school with a rich history.
A brief history of Westbrook ES
Photo courtesy of Michael Dwyer and MNCPPC Archives. This early photo of Westbrook Elementary School is featured in the newly published book, Montgomery County (Images of America), by Michael Dwyer, the historian for the Maryland National Capitol Park and Planning Commission. (Copyright 2006, Aracadia Publishing).
Sitting in the southwest corner of Montgomery County, Westbrook Elementary School is only a few blocks from the District of Columbia line. To the delight of its parents, Westbrook has always been one of the smallest schools in the county, but like so many of the B-CC cluster schonols its enrollment is now on the rise.
The school first opened in 1940 with 148 students. It was built in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration, one of President Roosevelt’s New Deal agencies. There is a plaque in the front hallway, which was left by the builders, with Roosevelt’s name on it. The school was renovated during the 1989-1990 school term. As a result of budget cutbacks, a gymnasium, which was part of the original renovation plan, was never built. Westbrook still remains without a gym. The “all purpose room” at the back of the building serves as a cafeteria, gymnasium, auditorium and after-school meeting room.
Westbrook currently has enrollment of more than 350 students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. This also includes several students in primary and intermediate special education classes. Westbrook is one of the few schools that house an Emotional Disabilities (ED) program. ED-school-based programs provide a continuum of placements and services for students with emotional disabilities depending on individual student needs. This continuum includes self-contained classes at the elementary and secondary levels.
Alumni share their memories of their time at Westbrook. If you went to Westbrook, email the Westbrook Webmaster with your stories and we'll compile responses to share with the community.
