When the new school opened, Union Hill closed its doors with the new school bearing its name for the first few years. In 1926, the Jefferson County Board of Education opened Shades Cahaba School at its present site in Homewood. Union Hill School continued in operation until the increasing population of the valley necessitated a school to serve the southern part of Jefferson County. From 1874 to 1920, children in the area attended Union Hill School at the old Union Hill Methodist Church, now known as Canterbury Methodist Church, which was then located next to the cemetery on Hollywood Boulevard in Homewood. Before the turn of the century, a variety of one and two room houses owned by struggling churches and lodges provided educational facilities for school-aged children in the Shades Valley area. Mountain Brook Elementary School first opened its doors to students in 1929. Its distinguished tradition continues today as the Mountain Brook City School system consistently ranks among the top public school systems in the nation.
As the oldest existing public school in the Mountain Brook area, Mountain Brook Elementary enjoys a rich history of community support and educational excellence.
