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The Murphy family homesteaded in Arapahoe County in 1865. One of the first schools in the Aurora area was the Coal Creek Schoolhouse, a one-room building originally located near the intersection of E. Jewell Ave. and Powhaton Mile Road.
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An early settler in 1882, William Smith came to this area from Scotland. He bought land around Sixth and Peoria. Seeing the need for a school, he donated land and garnered support from other community members. The Aurora Central Grade School was built in 1892 on the current site of Crawford Elementary.
Smith served on the school board for 50 years. Aurora's first high school built in 1931 was named after him. -
The Aurora Central Grade School was built in 1892 on the current site of Crawford Elementary. The building burned down in 1919.
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Prior to 1931, Aurora high school students attended East High School in Denver. Students rode the trolley on Colfax Avenue that had turn-arounds at Dallas and Geneva streets.
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The first Aurora Public Schools high school was built in 1931 at 13th and Florence. The building is still used today as part of the West Middle School campus.
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In 1933 the trolley service was cut back possibly because Aurora students no longer needed to travel to Denver to attend high school.
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Aurora has a strong influence from the military with bases located in the Lowry, Fitzsimons, and Buckley areas. Demographic is predominantly white and middle to upper class. Due to the military influence, there is also a lot of transiency amongst this group.
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Superintendant
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In 1950, a new building on the same site opened as Aurora High School. This building is now West Middle School.
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he first class graduated from the new high school at 11th and Newark in 1956.
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In 1963, Hinkley High School was built and Aurora High School was renamed Aurora Central High School.
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First Black teacher in APS to work at Crawford Elementary
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Aurora begins to see a shift in the socio-economics of the population. There in a clear division between North and South Aurora with the South retaining a more middle to upperclass status.
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Gateway high school opens in South Aurora.
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Aurora sees the demographics as 50% African American and 50% white. This will soon change.
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Rangeview high school opens in Southeast Aurora.
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Hispanic population begins to grow within Aurora.
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Northern Aurora is predominantly Hispanic with populations moving East and South. Southeast Aurora still retains a mostly white and African American population in the higher bands of the SES.
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Aurora West middle school becomes Aurora West College Preparatory Academy with the introduction of a choice high school.
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Vista Peak Exploratory/Preparatory opens in East Aurora.
