In May 1856, Excelsior School opened its doors to welcome its first group of students. At that time, the school was only a log cabin. But by 1857 the town of Excelsior had a two-story public school house. This building burned to the ground in 1899, so a new eight-room brick building was built. Also in 1899, Excelsior School recorded another milestone: it was the year Excelsior became an independent school district.

Answering the needs of a growing community, Excelsior Schools built a high school in 1915. This high school was built on the site facing Galpins Lake. The first addition on this building was placed in 1929. In 1949, Excelsior Schools and the surrounding districts felt the need to consolidate so they could better answer the needs of a rapidly growing suburb. Excelsior School became part of the Minnetonka Public School System.

In 1958, Excelsior Elementary was born in the form of a new, one story building. Since then, the older building adjacent to Excelsior Elementary has changed its title many times – from high school, to junior high, to community center, to senior center. In 1993, the older building was used for the first time to house the fourth and fifth grades of Excelsior Elementary School completely.

Excelsior Elementary School remains a proud member of Minnetonka Public Schools District #276, which contains six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.