Linkhorn Park Elementary

Opened in 1955, Linkhorn Park Elementary School, located on Laskin Road, accommodated around 600 students between grades 1 through 8. At that time, the building was viewed as a paragon of architecture for other schools to follow. In fact, it was considered so groundbreaking that original architects Oliver and Smith were recognized for the building they had created by being awarded an honorable mention for design by The Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. In 1955 the school cost $376,389.60 to construct. Accounting for inflation, that cost is estimated to be the equivalent of $3,658,197.94 by 2021 standards. For reference, a typical elementary school construction cost today could be roughly valued at $6.5 million, which helps to offer a whole new perspective on what phenomenal work Oliver, Smith, and general building contractor John L. Fisk produced.

In its original design, Linkhorn Park Elementary sported 12 primary classrooms along with 8 elementary classrooms for a combined total of 20 classrooms. With a 600 student enrollment, there were about 30 students in a class on average. In addition to the 20 classrooms, the school also had a library, teachers’ lounge, administrative suite, clinic, kitchen, cafeteria, and an auditorium for assemblies as well as theatrical productions. While in 1955, there was a slightly underwhelming amount of 600 students, the school reached its peak enrollment in 1961 with an average enrollment of 1,150 students. In 1961, the very first addition to the school was made to its library. To create the best environment for its students, the PTA helped by donating books, new materials, and new state of the art equipment. Mr. Willard Pendleton, Sr. was the first principal of the school when it opened in 1955. Mr. Pendleton later became the first principal of Luxford Elementary, also located in Virginia Beach. After his many years of service in both WWII and the Virginia Beach school district, Mr. Pendleton retired in 1972 and moved to North Carolina, where he passed away in 2015 at the age of 95.

A new Linkhorn Park Elementary was announced on March 12, 1997, to be built on First Colonial Road, out of the NAS Oceana flight zone. The new school, which was also considered ground-breaking for its architecture, was officially dedicated and replaced the Linkhorn Park Elementary located on Laskin Road on December 7, 1999. The old school was closed because it is located under the flight-pattern of the Oceana Military Base. The planes flew too low and were so loud that the school was considered too unsafe for its students. The New School still stands today (2021), and contains special education classrooms, teacher workrooms, various service facilities, and 30 classrooms - a significant improvement from the original school’s 20 classrooms. The principal of the new school, Ms. Kathleen Scarborough brings “multiple years of being a child advocate and teacher leader to her staff, students, and families in the effort to make all students successful.” Although the original school accommodated around 30 students per class, the average student-to-teacher ratio has significantly decreased over the past few decades to create the average of about 16 students per class in the new Linkhorn Park Elementary school. While there are many differences between the two schools, they were both admired for their architecture and rigorous academic standards.

Mrs. Judy Sullivan, who teaches special education, was kind enough to share a few words not only about her time spent at the old Linkhorn Park Elementary but also about her time spent at the new Linkhorn Park Elementary located on First Colonial road. Mrs. Sullivan has spent a total of 27 years teaching at Linkhorn Park. She enjoyed working at the old school; she described it as “personable” and “homey”. While the old school was much smaller compared to other elementary schools as well as the new school, she claimed “I would've liked to stay there” in reference to the old school. 

You may be wondering, “What has become of the first Linkhorn Park Elementary school?” After changing locations in 1999, Linkhorn Park Elementary became the ‘Laskin Road Annex’, also known as ‘The Virginia Beach City Public Schools Preschool Assessment Center’. The Laskin Road Annex provides testing and program planning for children aged 2-5 who are identified as having a possible learning disability. While the original school has undergone very few architectural modifications since its construction in 1955, it represents the longstanding tradition of Virginia Beach Public Schools’ architectural and historical significance to our community.

“Digest of Education Statistics, 2013.” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_208.20.asp.

Duffin, Published by Erin, and Jul 28. “Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Elementary and Secondary Schools 2029.” Statista, 28 July 2020, www.statista.com/statistics/185021/pupil-teacher-ratio-in-elementary-and-secondary-schools-since-1955/.

“Elementary School - Commercial Construction Costs Per Square Foot.” RSMeans Construction Cost Database, www.rsmeans.com/model-pages/elementary-school.

“Elementary Schools L-P.” Schools L-P - Virginia Beach City Public Schools, www.vbschools.com/about_us/schools/history/elementaryL-P.

“Obituary of Willard Voight Pendleton, Sr.: Pugh Funeral Home Asheboro.” Pugh Funeral Home Servi...,

pughfh.com/tribute/details/9544/Willard-Pendleton-Sr/obituary.html.

“Our School.” Our School - Linkhorn Park, linkhornparkes.vbschools.com/our_school.

“Preschool Assessment Center.” Preschool Assessment Center - Virginia Beach City Public Schools, www.vbschools.com/academic_programs/special_education_program/preschool_assessment_center.