Bellevue East High School

Before Bellevue East High School was named in 1977, it was known as Bellevue Senior High School. Just after second semester was underway in 1962, sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Bellevue Junior/Senior High School, located at what is now Mission Middle School, prepared to move to a new high school.

The three story building wing housed all students until the second and third phases and the gymnasium were completed with two out-door courtyards during 1963. A decade later, an auditorium and a swimming pool were added. The auditorium was and still is the largest auditorium for the Bellevue/Offutt Community. The indoor swimming pool was Bellevue’s first. Many other major additions and remodeling continued for the next 42 years.

Bellevue had many other high schools over the years. In 1912, Bellevue School District #1 and School District #5, which included Avery, Chandler, and Riverview Schools, created a high school district and called their school Pioneer Union High School. Classes were held in the old Bellevue College until it closed for training of disabled World War I veterans. So in 1921, a temporary building was built on a triangular piece of land across from the Historic Bellevue Cemetery. This school became known as the Sheep Shed High School. It wasn’t until 1936, when a bond issue passed in Bellevue and funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), built a new high school, which is the center section of present day Mission Middle School. High school students remained at the Mission Middle School location until 1962 when it moved to the newly built Bellevue Senior High School. Then in 1977, Bellevue Senior High School was divided to create the present Bellevue East and Bellevue West High Schools.