Barrett Elementary School

Barrett Elementary School is a 660 student elementary school in the Birmingham Public School System that feeds into L. Frazier Banks Middle School. The school is located at 7601 Division Avenue in the Wahouma neighborhood of the East Lake community. The principal is Wanda Birchfield.

History

Barett was originally called East Lake School when it opened in 1901. It was renamed in honor of then-East Lake mayor Nathaniel A. Barrett, a year before East Lake merged into the city of Birmingham and 16 years before Barett was elected President of the Birmingham City Commission.

The 1901 building was expanded with a new wing between 1925 and 1928, containing thirteen more classrooms, a music room and office. A lunchroom was added later. In 1955 the original portion of the school was demolished and replaced adjacent to the 1928 wing for the 1956 school year. The new building added 17 classrooms and a library. A two-story east wing was added on in 1960 for the 1961 school year.

In 1978 the school was fully refurbished with new windows, carpets, ceilings, lighting and air conditioning.

In 1989 the school, which had served kindergarten through 8th grade students was reconfigured into an elementary school serving K-5.

School colors are green and white, and the nickname is "Barrett Wildcats"