 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
Note that classes started in the new school building in 2022 replacing the original.
The Northcrest community has its own resident Elementary School, part of the Dekalb School system. The school is located towards the North-Eastern end of the original Northcrest development (before the neighborhood spread Eastward), adjacent to Pleasantdale Park. The school has features typical of 50's/60's built schools (Pleasantdale Elementary was opened in August 1968 according to the Dekalb Schools website) - brick and concrete construction with large windows. There are many Mid-century Modern features, like the cantilevered roof above the driveway drop-off to the left of the building.
Note that the following information was copied from the HISTORIC DISTRICT INFORMATION FORM (HDIF) developed by the 2016 Georgia State Masters of Heritage Preservation Program involved in the Northcrest Historic District designation documentation.
The Northcrest community has their own Elementary School, Pleasantdale Elementary School, part of DeKalb’s school system. The school is located towards the northeastern end of the original Northcrest development before the neighborhood spread eastward. The school is adjacent to the park, opened during the 1968-1969 school year, and is located on 10.2 wooded acres within the neighborhood. The school follows the style of the neighborhood with mid-century modern features, and is a contemporary building. The school is brick and concrete construction with large windows, and a cantilevered roof above the driveway drop-off with horizontal concrete supports to the east of the building. The entrance of the school has tall concrete columns which frame three metal doors. There is a flagpole featured outside the front entry. The Pleasantdale Elementary campus includes 9 portable classroom trailers and two main structures. Initially, two portable classes were placed on the campus in 1992 to hinder any overcrowding in the classrooms of the main structure. By the 1997-1998 school year, a total of four portable classrooms were in use. As the school continued to grow, more portable classrooms were added. Currently there are a total of nine portable classrooms on the Pleasantdale Elementary campus. The main structure of Pleasantdale Elementary contains offices, classrooms, and cafeteria. To the south of the property and behind the main structure is another building. The second, smaller building houses an indoor recreational area. In 2009, volunteers from the community came together to construct a playground on the eastern border of the campus.
Mr. Charlie Iddins served as principal from 1968 through June of 1978. The grounds of the school we refurbished during the 1973 Campus Beautification Contest in which Pleasantdale Elementary was recognized as having made “The Most Progress in Campus Beautification.” During his time as principal, Pleasantdale’s enrollment grew to a high of 707 students in 1977. Specialized educational programs and enrichment programs were implemented during this time to “improve and enhance students’ educational development.” The 1977-1978 school year started with a change in leadership for the first time since the school opened. Mr. James Chivers was named the new principal, and in the fall of 1978, the first kindergarten class began. With DeKalb’s population becoming more diverse, there was a the need to support students with a background of various languages, and the addition of an English as a Second Language program was implemented in 1985. In 1995, the Pre-Kindergarten program started, funded by the Georgia Lottery.
The 1981-1982 school year brought a decline of enrollment to Pleasantdale, reaching a low of 252 students. However, new housing developments occurring in the district began to impact the school's population, allowing for a rise in enrollment once again. In 1992, the school added two mobile storage unit classrooms to prevent overcrowding and by the end of 1997, there were four of these classrooms. At this time, Mrs. Carol Reams became the newest principle. Enrollment continued to grow over the next several years and the school eventually had the need for seven mobile classrooms to hold 700 students. “Rich with cultural diversity and focused on the future, Pleasantdale continues to serve the needs of its community”.
 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
Pleasantdale Elementary School is located on 10.2 wooded acres within the Northcrest community. The school property is adjacent to Pleasantdale Park, a community recreational park with a playground, nature trail, softball field, and football field.
 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
The school has a rather majestic demeanor from street-level - I can imagine walking up to the doors for my grade school classes - what a wonderful building for a child to spend his/her daylight hours. Neighborhood sidewalks are provided along Northlake Drive from Lori Lane.
 |
| Original Pleasantdale Elementary School 2005.03.04 |
Exiting the school via the driveway drop-off, one gets to enjoy the detail of the center columns supporting the protective portico. There's something about the simplicity of the T-shape at the top that works for me. Beautifully designed, practical and aesthetically pleasing - what more could you ask for?
Information about Pleasantdale Elementary School may be garnered from the Dekalb County Schools website. Additional information is provided by greatschools.net (I have no affiliation to the latter link, it's just something that I came across and thought provided some interesting information).
All other content, including images and editorial, is Copyright © 2004-2024 John Eaton and/or contributors unless otherwise stated. If there are any comments or objections, please contact John Eaton.
No comments:
Post a Comment