History of Barkley Elementary School
Barkley Elementary School has a long history of service to young students in the Phoenixville Community. The building was completed in 1930 and opened as the Memorial Junior High School. For the next 34 years it served many students who graduated and continued their education at the Phoenixville High School.
In 1964 a new junior high school opened, the former Phoenixville Area Middle School. Another elementary school was needed, so the Memorial Junior High became the Samuel K. Barkley Elementary School. Mr. Barkley, who lived in Phoenixville on Gay Street, served on the School Board for 25 years and was president for 9 of those years. He rode horses, liked gardening, and grew showcase roses. In 1990 the staff and students were moved to the Middle School for a year and a half, and Barkley School was beautifully renovated to what it is today.
Barkley Elementary School houses students in grades second through fifth with 24 classrooms and an average class size of 21 students.