Bray Elementary School is now retired. The final bell rang at the campus on May 26, 2023.

Bray Elementary School is more than a landmark, it represents an idea from years ago that sparked development, innovation, growth and education in the Cedar Hill community. The district’s decline in enrollment, failed bond elections and lack of funding to respond to the critical facility needs  led to the decision to retire the building from service. Unfortunately, the building does not provide our scholars and staff with a safe school environment that meets the needs of learning or teaching in the 21st century.

Bray Elementary School was dedicated in honor of longtime Cedar Hill ISD Teacher Floy (Greene) Bray (1889-1985) on December 4, 1972. The campus had 364 students at that point.  Mrs. Bray was 83 years old when the dedication ceremony took place. She lived in Cedar Hill throughout her career and retirement. Bray and her husband, Lindsey, had one son, Vaughn (1913-1963).  Bray passed away in Cedar Hill at the age of 96.

Bray, who studied at North Texas Teachers College (now, the University of North Texas) and Southern Methodist University, taught at CHISD for 41 years, from 1910-1954 (she took a couple of years off to raise her son). The Gymnasium, which would later become part of Bray Elementary, was constructed by the Public Works Administration (PWA) as part of a New Deal project under then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.  The Cedar Hill Dogies, as they were known at the time, would play their home games at that gymnasium, which had some of the finest stage equipment in Dallas County at the time. The gym has had a variety of purposes over the years, including Physical Education classes, plays, dances and more. In 1948, a new wing attached the Gymnasium to the Elementary campus. The new CHISD Elementary Campus, which would later become Bray, was dedicated on December 21, 1949 with Dr. Joe Harris, Dallas County Superintendent as the keynote speaker. Class graduations were held in the Gymnasium through the 1950s, and athletic competitions were no longer being held at the old Gymnasium by the late 1960s.

Bray remained CHISD’s only elementary campus until South Hills Elementary, which is currently known as Plummer Elementary, opened in 1973.

Bray Timeline

1889 – Floy Greene was born in Texas.

1910 – Floy Greene began her teaching career in Cedar Hill ISD.

1912 – Floy Greene married Lindsey Bray, becoming Floy Bray.

1913 – Floy Bray’s only child, a son named Vaughn, was born.

1934 – Rosa Belle Plummer joined Bray on the Cedar Hill ISD Elementary Staff.

1936 – The Gymnasium Building was constructed, thanks to a Public Works Administration (PWA) New Deal Project. It was designed by Arthur A. Brown and built by J.C. Pelt and Son.

1948 – Remodeling of the campus to add an elementary wing.

1949 – Original dedication for the new Cedar Hill Elementary School.

1952 – Campus added a second wing, a lunch room (the only one in the district) and a kitchen.

1954 – Floy Bray retired from Cedar Hill ISD at age 65.

1962 – A third wing was added to the campus.

1971 – The Lacy Family became the first African American Family to attend Cedar Hill ISD, including Bray Elementary.

1972 – A fourth wing was added to the campus.

1972 – Bray Elementary was formally dedicated, with Floy Bray attending the dedication ceremony.

1985 – Floy Bray passed away at age 96.

2003 – Patricia Byrd became the first African American Principal in the history of Bray Elementary.

2010 – The String Orchestra at Bray performed at Meyerson Hall in Dallas.

During the March 20, 2023 Board of Trustee meeting, Trustees approved the plan to rezone all Bray elementary students to High Pointe ES starting with the 2023-24 school year.