William B. Ward Elementary School is an elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

, comprising grades Kindergarten

Kindergarten

A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

 through 5

Fifth grade

Fifth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fifth grade is the fifth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 10 – 11 years old, and are preteens...

. It is part of the City School District of New Rochelle

City School District of New Rochelle

The City School District of New Rochelle is a public school district located in New Rochelle, New York. New Rochelle has one of the most extensive educational systems in Westchester County, comprising ten elementary schools, two junior high schools and one senior high school. The district...

 serving New Rochelle, New York

New Rochelle, New York

New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...

. Ward School was recognized as a national Blue Ribbon school of excellence

Blue Ribbon Schools Program

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...

in 1987-1988..

History

The school opened in 1959. It was built on a 13 acres (5.3 ha) tract donated to the school district by the Ward family, which had owned and operated the Ward Baking Company. In 2007, a brief dust devil struck the back blacktop of the school.