Riverside was opened in 1992, after passage of a bond election which served to relieve student overcrowding in the southeast and northwest sections of the city.  Riverside began the 1992-93 school year with over 800 students.  Successive years found Riverside at capacity and relying on neighborhood schools to facilitate any additional students. The passage of a bond issue in 1996 provided much-needed relief from overcrowding at Riverside and other southeast elementary schools.

Riverside was built using the same architectural model as was used for Liberty (1984), Cynthia Mann (1990), and White Pine (1990). Several revisions in the model were made as newer schools were built.  At the time, Riverside was viewed as an excellent example of modern school design.