History of the District

Well over 100 years ago, several families migrated to the area now known as Lakewood/Smokey Point/Seven Lakes. They were undoubtedly impressed by the beautiful lakes and peaceful forest setting. The community was named Lakewood by Mr. E. L. Walsh and Mr. S.G. Buell, two real estate brokers selling land in the area.

The first pioneer families were the Aken, Rose, Blacken, and Helseth. Others soon followed including the Husby, Nelson, Jensen, Lindquist, Jackson, Funk, Cook, Roth, Jacobson, Kind, Hild, Gay, Bjorn, and Lallemand families.  Many of these families are still living in the community today.

Within the tall timber and many fish-filled lakes, a school district was born. In 1888, Mrs. Florence Husby, one of our pioneers, taught six students in her home, creating the first school in the Lakewood area.

By February 28, 1891, School District #45 was formed. It was built on Isaac Harter"s land, which most recently was the site of the Marysville Auction Barn on Smokey Point Boulevard. This was the largest district and had approximately forty students.

The second school district, #65, was formed November 12, 1892. It was located somewhere in the Lake Goodwin area and had approximately thirty students.

With the population growth in and around Lakewood, another school district was established. This new school was named District #102 and was conceived on September 25, 1909. It was a wood frame school built on the property donated by the Overvold family and was located on 156th Street NE. It had roughly twenty students. This building still stands today and if you look very close the words "Lakewood School District" can be seen on boards over the entrance.

The expanding community realized the need for a large centrally located school. Therefore, in 1914, they consolidated the three smaller districts #45, #65, and #102 into one larger district, Lakewood School District #306. A three-story school building was built on land purchased from Fredrick Funk at a cost of $500. First to eleventh-grade students attended this new Lakewood School until 1918. At that time, the Arlington School District agreed to accept the high school students as long as Lakewood provided a school bus. A truck with wooden benches built in the bed and a canvas tarp overhead was used to transport several students to Arlington High School. 

In 1958, the Lakewood School building was demolished and the present elementary school was built. It consisted of two wings and eight rooms. A large gym was built in 1940 and was utilized until 1971. In 1962 and 1966, a total of 11 classrooms were added. By 1972, a new junior high school was built next to the other campus, which had been renamed Lakewood Elementary. In 1984, the community graduated its first class from the newly constructed Lakewood Jr/Sr High School.

In 1988, due to the increasing enrollment, the elementary school became Lakewood Primary School housing grades kindergarten through third, and the former junior high school was renamed Lakewood Intermediate School with grades fourth through sixth.

With the passage of the Bond Issue in 1992, the District began the process of building English Crossing Elementary, remodeling and adding on to the intermediate school to become a middle school, and completing an extensive remodel/addition to the primary school.

The ever-increasing enrollment created the need for another elementary school and additional facilities at the middle school. A bond was passed and the land was purchased in 2001 from the Huglen family to build Cougar Creek Elementary. With the addition of this new school, the district faced, for the first time, the need to set boundaries to determine which elementary school students would attend. Another addition to Lakewood Middle School was completed during this time period.

Matching funds from the State resulted in re-roofing the original middle school buildings, a large remodel and addition at Lakewood Elementary, a covered play shed at English Crossing and a remodeling portion of Lakewood High School.

In the near future, additional facilities will need to be built to keep up with our ever-growing community.

In 2014, Lakewood School District #306 celebrated its 100th anniversary. With an enrollment of over 2,500 students today, we have grown considerably from those 70 original students in 1914.