Ten years ago, in 2000, the Zilker Elementary School community collected photos and documents recording the school's first 50 years. Most of the records are from PTA newsletters and annual reports, along with newspaper clippings and school correspondence. The archives trace the growth of the school from an enrollment of 270 in 1950, to 489 in 1953 (requiring two portable classrooms), to 721 in 1963, back to the more reasonable 500 of recent years. A few excerpts from these archives are reproduced here to provide a "then and now" perspective on the spirit of Zilker Elementary, as we celebrate its sixtieth birthday.

Thanks to Jackie Kraal, school librarian (since 1983), who has been working hard to preserve the archives and make them accessible. Most of the records quoted here are from her work on the 1950s archives. Visit "60 Years of Zilker Pride" (.doc file) on the school Web site for more school history. Thanks, too, to all the parents, teachers, staff, and students who have contributed to the school's history over the last 60 years. Happy Birthday, Zilker.