Construction of the 8th elementary campus of Alief Independent School District began in 1976. The campus is named after Mrs. Sarah Vickers Chancellor, a dedicated staff member who retired from Alief after forty years as an educator. Chancellor attended Hopewell School, A one-teacher county school for seven years, then went to Teague High School, where she graduated with the Class of 1925. She atte
nded her first year of college at Baylor College, now Mary Hardin-Baylor at Belton, Texas. After one year, she began her teaching career in 1926, at the Hopewell School, a one teacher county school near Teague, Texas. The remaining three years of college work were completed during the summer terms at Southwest Texas University in San Marcos, Texas. Chancellor then taught at the Crossroads School, in Freestone County, and then the Sandy Ridge School, near Rogers, Texas, where she also served as principal for 13 years. In 1942, she became a teacher at the Freestone School,and then also served as their principal while she continued to teach English, math, science, and other subjects. After an eight year break from teaching, during which Mrs. Chancellor moved to Alief, Texas, she was offered a teaching position at the Alief School, which in 1959, comprised of a superintendent, 8 teachers, and approximately 100 students. During her sixth year as a teacher at the Alief School, she became the principal for one year at a new campus, Youens Elementary School. Chancellor then returned to teaching social studies, in the high school program at the Alief School. Classes were then moved into the new Junior-Senior High School, which is currently Alief Middle School. In 1972, high school classes were again moved, this time into the their permanent building at Hastings High School. In addition to teaching a variety of courses, Mrs. Chancellor coached the girls' basketball, volleyball, and softball teams, and was also the sponsor of the yearbook for five years. During her years in the Alief School, Mrs. chancellor gave many hours and much attention to her students. She always had time to talk and work with her students, opening up her home to them in the evenings and weekends. She was a friend, advisor, and mentor, in addition to being a teacher. After forty years of service in the field of education, Mrs. Chancellor retired in 1974. "When Dr. Bowser called me at 11:30 one night to tell me a school had been named in my honor, I was surprised, very happy but extremely humble. I could not believe that such an honor had been bestowed upon me. I accept this honor with deep humility and great appreciation. I shall never forget the words and expressions of friendship of the youngsters I visited on April 11, 1978. I wish to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the members of the Alief Board of Education, to Dr. Bowser and to Mr. Burch." -Sarah Vickers Chancellor
During the 1977-1978 school year, Chancellor had 13 teachers and 257 students. The red and gold colors and the "Comet" mascot were chosen by the first class of 3rd and 4th grade students. Through the years, the community has come together to make Chancellor Elementary School one of the most prestigious schools in Alief. In 2007, new renovations were completed and a new kindergarten wing was added to accommodate our growing population. The staff, students, and parents have also worked hard in raising funds for our newly added playground (2008) and track (2009), and gardens (2008-2009). Through the years, Chancellor has grown to encompass over 100 staff members and approximately 1,000 students, and is now recognized by the State of Texas as an Academically "EXEMPLARY" Campus.
