School History

Vandora Springs originally opened in 1959 as a small community school under the leadership of principal Marshall Long. Many families lived close enough for their children to walk to school. There used to be a spring on the property, hence the name! 

The Jaycees maintained a park that was attached to the school property and the children enjoyed having that extra space to play. In 1964 Clinton Ousley became our 2nd principal. He is known as a gentle, kind leader who put students first and cared about every child and teacher. He remained for 23 years.  From 1987-1989 Eddie Clinton served as principal, followed by Sue King from 1989-1996. Randy Stephens, Mrs. King’s assistant principal, took over in 1996 and remained principal that school year. From 1997-1999 Vandora was led by Renee Duckenfield, followed by David Schwenker, who served 2 years. Vandora was blessed by Troy Peuler’s leadership for 17 years, from 2001-2018. During his time as principal, the school board voted to give families “choice” in where they went to school, and we wondered what would happen. We were excited to see the school actually gained students. Vandora has always had a strong reputation in our community, and this was validated when our families stayed and encouraged friends to choose the school, too. 

In October 2013, voters approved a $810 million school construction bond, which included renovations at Vandora. Changes in the building program resulted in the school being scheduled for replacement in 2017. Demolition began in the spring of 2017. Staff and students moved into swing space at the new Bryan Road Elementary campus for a year. Vandora moved into our brand new 3 story building in August 2018. Then, Rhonda Curtis, a former Vandora student, was named the school’s principal in the fall of 2018.