School History

The A.W. Orr Elementary School began its operation on September 4, 1962.  The school was named after Albertus Wellington Orr, a long time East Texas Educator.  The enrollment at the end of the first week of instruction was 309 pupils.  There were twelve classroom teachers, one principal, one secretary, and several part-time instructors, which were shared with other Tyler schools.  The itinerant teachers were a half day physical education teacher, half day music teacher, half day speech teacher, and a half day nurse per week. 

The pupil membership for Orr School came from three Tyler elementary schools.  About 50 were from Douglas School, approximately 50 came from Dixie School, and the other 210 were from Ramey School.  The first Orr faculty also came from various schools.  One of them came from Bell.  The principal, two teachers, and the secretary were from Bonner.  Two came from Dixie, three from Douglas, one from Ramey one from Boulter, and two were beginning teachers.

The pupil membership increased steadily the first year and by May 1963 it had risen to 325.  The present enrollment (October 22, 2009) is 656.  Due to the age of the current campus and the increasing enrollment, the community voted in 2008 to build a new school on the grounds of the current campus.  Classes are scheduled to begin in the new school in August 2010.