Coming Up

Front of Louisville Elementary School
Louisville elementary bell

The story of the bell...

The iconic bell in front of Louisville Elementary School has become a hallmark of many first and last day of school photos, but did you know the history of the bell dates back over 140 years?

The Louisville History Museum strongly believes the bell dates back to 1881, which is the year that the Louisville Grade School at Spruce and Jefferson opened. This is now the site of Memory Square Park. The bell can be seen in the school's bell tower in historic photos that are from before 1903, which is the year that the school was remodeled and enlarged. This makes the bell one of the oldest artifacts from Louisville's history, as Louisville was founded in 1878 and incorporated in 1882. The bell was manufactured by Goulds Mfg. Co. of Seneca Falls, NY. It is 33 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 700 pounds. When Louisville Elementary School opened its doors in 1964, the bell was relocated to the front of the building. Now the community can enjoy this piece of Louisville history each time they visit Louisville Elementary School!

Read more about the history of the Louisville Grade School, the famous bell, and the construction of Louisville Elementary School by reading the Fall 2021 edition of the Louisville Historian. 

Louisville Historian Fall 2021

District and School News

New Vista

Earlier this year, the New Vista school community and BVSD celebrated a much-anticipated milestone as students and staff started the second semester of the school year in their brand new building. The new school is remarkable not only because it was designed specifically to support New Vista’s innovative program but also because it joins the ranks of BVSD’s most sustainable schools. 

Read More about Numerous sustainable features at New Vista boost efficiency and comfort
people at a confernece table

Students in BVSD are concerned but energized about the climate crisis and have made BVSD’s new Green Youth Council a space to take collective action and focus on hope. The Green Youth Council is a student-led group of passionate middle and high school students in the district. Their goal is to incorporate youth voices into the climate initiatives of BVSD and tackle climate issues with hope and action rather than fear. 

Read More about Student feature: The Green Youth Council adds student voices to BVSD’s sustainability work
day in the life tool

This spring, BVSD’s Office of Sustainability is introducing “A Day in the Life of greenBVSD” to help show how sustainability is built into day to day life at BVSD. This project aligns with the greenBVSD Action Plan and the new tool is an idea that arose from discussions with the district’s Sustainability Advisory Committee to highlight and share the features and programs that exist in our schools that support our sustainability goals.

Read More about Introducing a new digital tool to engage students and staff in district sustainability efforts: A Day in the Life of greenBVSD