Longfellow Elementary 
School History

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen, my children, and you shall hear 
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, 
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; 
Hardly a man is now alive 
Who remembers that famous day and year. 
                           -Paul Revere's Ride (1860)

      Longfellow School is named after the famous poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.   Longfellow was a strong believer in education and the betterment of children. Early PTA members and local community felt he would be an excellent namesake.  Our current building was built in 1939.  It replaced the old 20th Avenue School which served the south end of Council Bluffs for 56 years. 

Old 20th Ave School

     In 1939 Longfellow served grades K-8.  In 1957, with the addition of a gymnasium, it became a junior high serving grades K-9.  In 1985, Council Bluffs Schools consolidated its  five junior highs into two and Longfellow once again became an elementary school.  Currently,  just over 400 students are enrolled.  With an experienced staff, many diverse programs, and a multi-media computer lab,  Longfellow is prepared to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in our ever-changing  society.