When the elementary grades moved from the Odd Fellow's Home in New Providence, Tennessee to the Woodlawn Community in 1942, Woodlawn Elementary was established.
      The first principal of the newly formed school was Miss Aileen Martin. She was considered a half-day principal and a half-day teacher along with three other teachers who taught one half of their day at Central School.
      After Woodlawn School .burned in 1945, students attended the National Youth Association (NYA) Shop in New Providence. Woodlawn was rebuilt in 1946 and housed grades 1-12 until 1966. At that time grades 7-9 went to New Providence Junior High School and two years later grades 10-12 went to Northwest High School.
      Mr. 0. B. Moorehead, serving from 1949-1971, holds the longest tenure as principal. In 1976, under the principalship of Mr. James Tucker Jr., the original high school building was razed and replaced with a new addition housing an administrative wing, food service facilities, a media center, and classrooms for grades K-2.
      The 1979-1980 school year brought with it Woodlawn's newest and current principal, Mr. Lew Wallace. Under Mr. Wallace's leadership, many changes have taken place during the last seven years. Beginning the 1980-1981 school year, Woodlawn's sixth graders moved from the elementary school to be a part of the new middle school concept. Incredibly, Woodlawn's enrollment increased from 726 to 735 the following year. It has continued to steadily increase and has peaked in the 1987-1988 school year at 850 students. Rezoning for the new elementary school should effect a lower enrollment for the 1988-1989 school year.
      Additional changes during this seven-year period include the implementation of Tennessee's Basic Skills First objective-based management program in reading and math, the conversion of the standardized testing program from the California Achievement Test to the Stanford Achievement Test, the computerization of student attendance and school financial accounts, the school adoption by Burger King and the successful completion of the state's Exemplary School Program in Basic Skills First.
      The physical plant has also experienced a series of changes. Physical plant changes include the destruction of the old boiler building, the enclosure of the walkway between the new and old structures, the addition of a new heating and cooling system in the old structure, the replacement of floor tile and carpeting in various areas, the installation of new ceiling tiles, and the paving of most of the parking areas.
      Future physical plant renovations are planned and Woodlawn looks forward to the continued upgrading of this faculty.

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Submitted by Sandra Stacey and Mr. Sam Winters.

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