Langston Hughes Elementary School opened in 2000 on a portion of 50 acres of land located west of Lawrence which was purchased by the Lawrence Board of Education in 1986. The school bears the name of Langston Hughes, one of our nation’s most well known and prolific poets. Raised in Lawrence by his grandmother from the age of two, Hughes attended Pinckney, New York and Central schools before moving to Illinois at age thirteen. Much of Hughes’ poetry is reflective of his experience as an African American child growing up in the Midwest. Eventually, his travels took him to Harlem, New York, where his poetry became very popular during the Harlem Renaissance Period, and his work is now recognized world-wide. In addition to poetry, Langston Hughes also wrote novels. His most famous novel, Not Without Laughter, is based on his experience as a child growing up on Arkansas Street in Lawrence. Langston Hughes Elementary School serves 376 students in grades K-6.