In 1923, Coral Gables founder George Merrick, assigned to Mary Feaster Jackson the task of gathering 39 children required to start the elementary school.

[citation needed] Abigail Gilday served eighteen years as principal of the newly established school.

During this time the students, educators, and parents at Coral Gables Elementary initiated a war bond drive.

[citation needed] In return, the children were awarded a prize by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for being first in the nation for the collection of bonds and stamps.

In South Florida desegregation began as early as 1960; it reached Coral Gables Elementary school in 1971.

[citation needed] The effort to desegregate Coral Gables Elementary school began in 1970, when Federal Judge C. Clyde Atkins, a Coral Gables resident issued a ruling that called for the immediate integration of all school in Miami-Dade County.

Jaimeison responded by organizing PTA meetings for parents to voice their support or opposition to the program.

[citation needed] He was born in Jersey City, N.J. and in 1945 at the age of 17 joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific during World War II.

[citation needed] In 1983, the school celebrated its 60th anniversary and dedicated the Eunice Peacock Merrick Garden designed by Charles, A.

[citation needed] In 1992, with the devastation of Hurricane Andrew, the school became the home for many misplaced Homestead families and children.

A student needed to live within the area of any of the three schools where parents could opt to have their child attend through a lottery system.

Controlled open enrollment-parental choice options meant a public education delivery system that allowed the school district to make student school assignments using parents’ indicated preferential school choice, adhere to federal desegregation requirements, provide a lottery procedure to determine student assignment, establish an appeals process for hardship cases, maintain socio-economic, demographic, and racial balance.

[citation needed] In the summer of 2010, Coral Gables Elementary expanded its program to include grades K-8.