Elementary School Celebrates 50 Years

Much has changed during the past half-century in the residential neighborhood near Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park, but one landmark has remained the same.

“Chandler Elementary School was built as an elementary school in 1949,” said the school’s principal, Barbara Thibodeau. “And it has always been an elementary school.”

Situated on Weddington Street near Hazeltine Avenue, the school celebrated its 50th birthday Friday with student performances and the dedication of 72 shade trees recently planted by volunteers.

For the occasion, Thibodeau tried to dig up some history, but could find little.

“We wanted to know who the first principal was and other information about the first classes, but they didn’t have any of that at district headquarters,” she said. “We couldn’t even find out the origin of the name.”

Thibodeau said she assumes the school was named for Chandler Boulevard, which is about two blocks north of the school.

“We do know that at the time the school opened, this was a middle- to upper-middle-class neighborhood,” Thibodeau said. “That has changed. Now, 70% of our students are on the free lunch program.”