McKinley Elementary School History At the turn of the century,
Burlingame's population hovered around 200. This changed rapidly
after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The town's population
grew rapidly to 1000 in only a year. At that time, children were
schooled through the county at the Burlingame School on
Peninsula Avenue and County Road (El Camino). However, as
Burlingame grew, the residents wanted a school they could call
their own. Therefore, in 1911, Burlingame residents voted to
establish a school district and began plans to build a permanent
school. Well-known architect William H. Weeks was hired to
design the school. During the construction, a temporary 8-room
schoolhouse was used which was located on Howard and Primrose
called “the little red schoolhouse”. By September 1913 the first
permanent school, located on the corner of Oak Grove and Grange
(now Paloma Avenue), was ready to open its doors to the children
of Burlingame. Originally named Burlingame Grammar School,
McKinley Elementary has alwa