Constructed in 1962, Parkway Elementary School became Parkway Primary Academy in 2001 under a campus reorganization plan approved by Lubbock school trustees. However, much more than the name was changed. Every classroom and hall was repainted and new landscaping was installed to beautify the campus.

The school was reconfigured to include a dozen regular classrooms, a pre-kindergarten room, a library and a music and art room. School officials boast of the academy being the Lubbock Independent School District's first e-school. In addition to a 24-unit computer lab, there are at least five student computers and a teacher's computer workstation and printer in every classroom. All of the computers in the buildings are networked, allowing for electronic correspondence among teachers and administrators.

Learning takes place outside as well as in traditional classrooms at Parkway. There is a rose garden and a wildlife sanctuary, where native grasses and trees draw insects and critters of all types for student obervations and activities. Picnic tables have been installed for students and the community to have a place to enjoy the campus.

A non-traditional ceremony opens each new day at Parkway. Students gather for integrated art and music lessons and instruction in patriotism and character-building before going to individual classrooms. The library also is different because the instructional emphasis has been placed on conducting research. The library has been transformed into a research laboratory, where students learn how to read and explore intellectual properties.

Programs offered to students include Reading Recovery, Early Literacy Framework, Structure of Intellect -- Bridges, and mentoring programs. Reading Recovery is a literacy program, while Early Literacy Framework is a reading and writing workshop. Structure of Intellect -- Bridges is an IQ-building program using 26 sensory skill measures in a balanced approach to learning. Community and high school mentors work on a one-on-one basis with students.

Parkway is not just a school for students. The school is designed to meet the needs of parents and other members of the community. A full-time home liason is on staff to make a connection between the school and the homes of the students served. Also, Parkway has a Community in the Schools program that is designed to bring parents and professionals into classrooms. Parents can receive guidance and instruction in everything from improving parenting skills to earning a GED. Parents and teachers may join the Academy PTA, which serves Parkway, Bozeman and Alderson academies.

View the state report card for Parkway Primary Academy.