Birchcrest History

Birchcrest Elementary School - proudly established 1963

In 1962, developer, civic leader, elected official, and philanthropist R. Joe Dennis named a three-phase housing development Birchcrest. The Bellevue Board of Education voted in March 1962 to buy land in the development. They liked the name and selected it for Birchcrest Elementary School, which was constructed in two phases in 1963 and 1964.

This respected developer built thousands of homes in Bellevue; many more than there were people in Bellevue when he came as a boy in 1939. He literally built enough homes for a city. As a developer, he worked to solve many problems for Bellevue and always gave credit to others. He supported the orderly development of both the city and the schools.

Some of the Dennis housing developments include Lawry Addition, Cascio Addition, Mission Heights, Cherry Hills, Twin Ridge, Bella West, Quail Creek, Fontenelle Hills, and of course, Birchcrest.

School Mascot: Birchcrest Tigers
School Colors: Royal Blue & Orange