Long before Nucky Johnson ruled the Boardwalk, before Atlantic City became known as “The World’s Playground” and before the first dice were cast, the city placed an important bet on educating its children.
Atlantic City opened its first elementary school in 1858, four years after the city was incorporated with about 204 permanent residents. Located at Maryland and Arctic avenues, it was known simply as “The First School.”
Before it opened, teachers traveled from the mainland by ferry or rowboat to educate a handful of local children. Classes were held in private homes and church rooms.
As Atlantic City grew into a thriving seaside resort, its public school system expanded. In 1883, the city built Texas Avenue School for $25,000 in the neighborhood now known as historic Ducktown.
It is unclear how many students attended during the school’s first year. Originally serving children from kindergarten through sixth grade, Texas Avenue School has anchored its neighborhood for more than 140 years. Generations of students from Atlantic City’s hardworking immigrant families have passed through its doors, reflecting the city’s rich cultural heritage.
In recent years, Texas Avenue School underwent an extensive modernization project that included structural renovations and upgrades to the aging building’s exterior. As the new school year begins, an estimated 500 students are expected to attend the school, which now serves prekindergarten through eighth grade.
Brighton Avenue School, built in 1916 as Atlantic City continued to grow as a resort, serves the city’s Chelsea and Westside neighborhoods. The 110-year-old school operates from prekindergarten through fifth grade and, according to recent data, enrolls about 300 students. With the exception of Venice Park School, it has the smallest enrollment in the district.
Brighton Avenue School underwent comprehensive structural and cosmetic renovations in 2011. The work modernized the century-old building while preserving much of its historic character. Today, it remains an important neighborhood school serving many of the city’s immigrant families.
I had the opportunity to teach at both Texas Avenue and Brighton Avenue schools during my 32-year career as an Atlantic City educator. I grew especially fond of their beautifully designed coatrooms, soaring ceilings and heavy woodwork — hallmarks of turn-of-the-century public schools.
Much of that craftsmanship remains intact. The rectangular transom windows above the massive wooden doorways and the historic archways still inspire a sense of awe. Although traditional chalkboards have been replaced by modern smartboards, the atmosphere inside each school remains undeniably timeless. That history deserves to be appreciated and preserved.
In a city where the stakes are often high and the tides are always shifting, Texas Avenue and Brighton Avenue schools have stood the test of time. Both remain fully functioning, innovative schools dedicated to Atlantic City’s most precious resource: its children.
Atlantic City may be famous for games of chance, but investing in its young people has always been a sure bet. As the 2026-27 school year begins, these two historic schools remain ready to provide what every community deserves: a place where students can learn, grow and discover their individual talents with the guidance of dedicated teachers.
