Villa Park Elementary School is located in Villa Park, CA. Find school information, insights and links to websites and social media accounts about VPE.
Villa Park Elementary School
10551 Center Dr.
Villa Park, CA 92861
714-997-6281
Fax: 714-532-5895
VPE Orange Unified Link
Villa Park Elementary Profile
Enrollment: 620 +
Grades: Kindergarten – 6th
Mascot: Bobcat
Established: 1951, previously Mountain View School established 1881
Schedule: August to June
VPE Features
- The VPE Home and School League provides funds for programs that enrich the educational experience of all students
- VPE Dads Club, part of the HSL, Dad’s work tirelessly in monthly work parties to paint, build and tear down, as well as build class lunch carts for the students.
- Many parent volunteers
- Teaching and support staff who work many hours beyond the school day to prepare for students
- Monthly STEM challenges
- Multi-tiered systems of support for all students including English language learners, students with disabilities, Hispanic and socially disadvantaged students and foster youth
- Villa Park Elementary Accountability Report Card
- Review from Great Schools
VPE Social Media
VPE Home & School League Social Media
VPE Dads Club
Annual VPE Events
- Art Masters Lessons
- National Walk to School Day
- College Gear Dress
- Movie Night
- Book Fair
- Bike Rodeo
- Family Lunch
- Jog a Thon
- 6th Grade Outdoor Science Camp
- Holiday Shoppe
- Carnival
- Lip Sync Contest
- Camp Bobcat
- Career Day
Villa Park Elementary History
Villa Park Elementary was originally called “Mountain View School” and opened in 1882 with four students. Originally students walked or too horse and buggy to school which gradually progressed to school buses. Like today, many students still walk or ride their bikes or Sting Rays back then. Up until the 1960s students were even allowed to go barefoot to class or bring their dogs and leave them outside.
Villa Park School Bell
The Villa Park school bell was preserved upon the necessary demolition of the historic school buildings in 2017. It was removed from the school belltower just before the buildings were demolished. The nearly 100 year old Villa Park School Bell found its new home, a large concrete monument in the center of the VPE campus. It is a 500-pound #30 cast iron bell measuring about 4 feet wide at its base and manufactured by C.S. Bell & Co. The rusted bell went through a restorative process that involved electrolysis to remove rust and add coatings to protect the bell from weathering in the future. The bell is now prominently displayed in the center of the VPE campus. But is it the original school bell? Does a Villa Park resident have possession of the original school bell? Good questions to be asked…
Villa Park Elementary Timeline:
1882 – The first school opened in Villa Park in a small shed on the Smith Ranch with 4 students
1883 – A grey wooden building with a bell tower was erected.
1883 – Pepper trees in the school yard were planted by Frank D Collins. He maintained them by hauling water up from his ranch.
1910 – The name of the school was changed to Villa Park to correspond to the postal address.
1919 – A two room Spanish style stucco school was built to replace the wooden building. The original bell moved into the new bell tower.
1924 – An addition of a primary room was built.
1926 – A fire burned the main building and a library was added.
1937 – The school grows to about 100 students.
1948 – A new classroom was built on Lincoln.
1952 – Villa Park School District Auditorium was built.
1954 – The school merged with Orange Unified School District and had 7 teachers and over 150 students.
1970s – Villa Park and the school grew and portable classrooms were added to accommodate over 700 students.
1970s – Two buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places are placed out of use due to safety concerns and are fenced in.
2017 – The demolition of the historic buildings were completed in June and July. The approximate $3.5 million cost to restore the building was too prohibitive.