During the first term of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Project 1300 of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works called for the construction of a two-story red brick building in East Austin. Named for the first vice-president of the Republic of Texas, Lorenzo de Zavala, Zavala Elementary School was created to educate the growing number of children in the largely Hispanic community just north of the Colorado River, one mile east of downtown Austin.

Zavala School Entrance	Zavala School Sign

The next forty years would witness a steady procession of students, mostly Hispanic, some African American, passing through the halls of Zavala. Over this span of years, the school developed a reputation for students that traditionally scored well below their Anglo counterparts on the west side of the city. In 1980, mandated busing changed the complexion of the student population, as Anglo students from across town were bused in to join the neighborhood children in pre-K, fourth, fifth and sixth grades. Zavala children in grades 1-3 were, in turn, bused to Casis Elementary, located in the heart of the affluent Tarrytown area on the west side of Austin. In 1987, this busing policy was rescinded and Zavala once again became a neighborhood school.

From its beginning as one of the "seeds" planted by the New Deal, Zavala Elementary School has grown strong and is now producing students who look up instead of down. By looking up, they are able to see where they came from, where they are, and where they are going. And through the continuing efforts of the entire Zavala community, they are going to succeed.