Alief (once known as Dairy) was a rural community of about 30 families in the early 1900s. A three-story brick school was built in 1911, replacing the small schoolhouse previously used. Alief’s Dairy School, District 46, officially became an independent school district in 1917.  Over the years Alief worked hard to provide the best education to its students in modest buildings and schoolhouses.  The modern era of Alief schools began with construction in the 1960’s  Alief Elementary School, was the first school to be built in 1964.  It was later renamed for a dedicated and beloved teacher  Mrs. Cynthia Youens.

Mrs. Youens was a 3rd grade teacher who taught in Alief for more than 20 years. She was active in Alief community activities and she served on the executive board of the Alief PTA, Alief Classroom Teachers Association, the Greater Houston Reading Council and other organizations.  On January 22, 1974, the Alief ISD Board of Education voted to rename Alief Elementary School to Cynthia Youens Elementary School. Excluding a short study leave to earn her Master’s Degree from the University of Houston, Mrs. Youens taught at Alief Elementary School from 1951 until she retired in 1974.