The History of Hayes Leonard School

In 1929, Hayes Leonard School was formed when two other schools -- Hayes School and Leonard School were combined. Hayes School was built in 1887 on land located at the corner of 150 West and State Road 2. It was named after Mr. Hayes, a man who lived across the street from the new school. The building is still there and is now a private residence. Leonard School was built in 1888 on land located near the corner of Tower Road and Joliet Road. It was torn down in 1929. In 1985 the steps that led to Leonard School were still there, but they are now gone. 

Our current school was built in 1929. It had two classrooms (with 3 grades in each classroom), a basement, a cafeteria, and a playroom. In 1956, four classrooms and an office were added. Six more classrooms, a multi-purpose room, and a kitchen were added in 1965. In 1966, the former cafeteria/playroom was remodeled into a kindergarten room. A major addition of 3,500 square feet was added in 1974. This included a library, faculty storage, and activity rooms. In 1978, the east end (from the ramp down) was added and included 5 classrooms, 2 bathrooms, and custodial storage. The last addition was a storage room at the end of the gym. This was completed in 1983. 

In recent years our PTO has added a playground, a Garden of Heroes, and beautiful murals to our school. In addition, the PTO funds many academic and social programs for our students and teachers.