Set in the bucolic hills along the I-580 corridor, Palomares Elementary School is a historically rich place that first opened in 1868 as a one-room school house. Abraham Lincoln signed the school charter, and children rode their horses to school. Nearby ranches indicate that horseback riding is still common in the area, as is bike riding, jogging and hiking. The school's Palomares Creek Restoration Project serves as an outdoor science lab, often connecting students with biologists and engineers.