Bishop Elementary School was started in 1965 in a rapidly growing area of southwest Topeka.  Bishop was name after Maude Mary Bishop, who taught in several elementary schools before joining the staff at Topeka High School where she taught Latin, Mathematics, History, Constitution, and English.  She retired in 1941 after forty-three years in the classroom.

By 1969, Bishop Elementary School was already overcrowded and some students were housed in temporary portable classroom units.  In 1970, the Topeka Public Schools Board of Education approved an addition to the school using the “open classroom” concept.  Bishop now serves students in grades Kindergarten through Fifth with a current enrollment of approximately 297.

The primary unit consists of spacious classrooms arranged in pairs, which are divided by a movable wall.  The intermediate room of the school is an open, carpeted area that can accommodate as many as nine classes.  The building presently houses 14 rooms.  Indoor planters and skylights enhance the open environment, as opposed to the usual classroom with windows, and are located throughout the building.

Parents and guardians are automatically given PTO (Parent Teacher Organization membership status when they enroll their students.  They are expected and encouraged to participate in all school activities to the extent that they have time and interest.

The Bishop Elementary School staff considers the home a vital support to the educational process, and the parent is an important partner in the child’s learning.  Many parents have been involved in the instructional program of Bishop students as volunteers.  All community members are encouraged to become involved in the school’s activities and visitors are always welcome.

Since 1970, Bishop Elementary School’s logo has been the “Bulldog” and the official school colors have been green and white.  A school song written by a fourth grade student was adopted in March of 2000.

During the 1997-1998 and again during the 2002-2003 school years, Bishop became an accredited elementary school through the Kansas Quality Performance Accreditation (QPA) process.  School improvement initiatives are constantly being upgraded.  At the present time, Bishop is addressing the school improvement process by participating in the North Central Association (NCA) process as a Cycle III school.

In the 2003-2004 school year, Bishop qualified for federal Title I funds for the first time with a free and reduced lunch population of 44 percent.  Bishop became a Targeted Assisted School focusing on student reading and math achievement.

Bishop Elementary School’s focus has become centered around the “No Child Left Behind” legislation (HR 1) and making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).  Bishop strives to implement research based best teaching practices and to teach to the state standards with highly qualified teachers.  Student performance and school accountability are an emphasis.