McLean Elementary is named after Ben F. McLean, a businessman and former mayor of Wichita.

1908
Ben McLean purchases 464 acres of farmland which is distributed among his descendents upon his death in 1930.

1950
The city of Wichita re-zones the McLean farmland to be included within the city limits, and taxes increase. Unable to maintain the land, daughter-in-law Elizabeth McLean sells the land for residential development. The communities are named "Benjamin Hills Estates" and the "Benjamin Hills second addition."

1953
Elizabeth McLean donates land to the Board of Education for the construction of McLean Elementary School.

1955
The school building is completed in September, and 172 pupils were enrolled in Kindergarten through sixth grade on the opening day. Mr. Eugene W. Kraus served as principal.

1956
Mrs. Eula Houlton is appointed as principal and serves until 1962.

1962
Mr. Kenneth G. Gleason becomes the principal. He serves until 1965.

1965
Mr. Donald Younglund becomes principal for the spring of 1965. Mr. James G. Howell serves as principal for the 1965-66 school year.

1966
Enrollment reaches its peak of 502 students. Eight portable classrooms were being used to accomodate the students. A gradual decline in enrollment started after this date, finally stabilizing between 300 and 350 students. Mr. Coker Jack Denton serves as principal for the 1966-67 school year.

1967
Mr. Kenneth M. Wolf becomes the principal and serves until 1977.

1975
A time capsule is created which will be opened in the year 2000.

1976
Construction is completed on an addition to the school which provides two new classrooms, a library, kitchen, gymnasium, and music room. Charles F. McAfee was the architect for this construction.

1977
Mr. Robert Coykendall becomes principal.

1982
Mr. James C. Davis becomes principal.

1985
Mr. David Bowman serves as principal for one school year.

1986
Mr. Paul Spacil becomes principal.

1988
Mrs. Anne Lassley becomes principal.

1990
Mclean Elementary becomes a city-wide magnet school by a unanimous vote of the school board. They begin offering a science and technology program with the start of the new school year.

1992
Mrs. Gloria Martin becomes principal.

1995
McLean celebrates its 40th Anniversary. An Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site (OWLS Area) was created at the front of the school. The area gives students a place to explore nature right at school.

1998
Mrs. Candi Spacil serves as principal until 2002.

2000
Time capsule is opened. Mayor Bob Knight, Superintendent Winston Brooks, and Principal Candi Spacil speak at the event. Current McLean students refill the capsule and put it away until the year 2025.

2002
Mr. Shawn Springer becomes the principal. He serves until 2005.

2003
Construction is completed on an addition to the school which provides four new classrooms, and an upgrade to the office, entryway, and kitchen. Prior to this addition, music and art were brought room to room on carts. The construction also added air conditioning to the school and replaced the old boiler.

2005
Ms. Keli Gustafson becomes principal. She serves until 2012.

2006
McLean celebrates its 50th anniversary.

2012
Ms. Mendie Vicin becomes principal. She serves for two years.

2014
Ms. Cindy Graves becomes principal in August 2014.

2017
McLean is named a National Magnet School of Distinction by Magnet Schools of America, the national association for magnet and theme-based schools.

2020
McLean wins the National Magnet School of Distinction for the second time.