Arnold Elementary School was built in 1959 as the base housing school at Lincoln Air Force Base. Although the school was financed with federal funds, it was a civilian school and a part of the city school system from the beginning. When the Air Force Base closed in 1968, Arnold’s population departed. Plans were made to close the school or find other uses for it. At this time, part of Arnold was leased to E.S.U. No.6 for a special education program; however, within a year the school was in full operation again as a Lincoln public elementary school after Lincoln Housing Authority acquired the base housing.
For a time from 1971 Arnold was operated as two schools: Arnold Elementary and Arnold Trainable School; however, the two were merged in 1973.
In August 2009 Arnold moves into a new joint use facility down the street that is shared with a public library and a recreation center.
The school was named for General RH. (Hap) Arnold (1886- 1950), a career soldier with wide interests and diverse talents. After World War I Major Arnold supplemented his income as an army officer by writing a series of boy’s adventure books that dealt with flying. As he moved up in rank, he devoted himself to reorganizing the Army Air Corps and was so successful in this endeavor, that he became Air Commander-In-Chief during World War II.
