SCHOOL HISTORY  (Historical data is based on interviews with Mrs. Mildred Hatton, Mr. Hugh Hagert, and Ms. Peggy Wilson who were teachers at Pointer Ridge Elementary the first day the school opened.)  

One cold, December morning in 1971, Pointer Ridge Elementary opened it's double doors to continue educating the leaders of today and tomorrow. Prior to the students moving to Pointer Ridge, they attended Tall Oaks Elementary on Church Road. Tall Oaks was too small for the enrollment, so from September until December of 1971, two sessions were conducted. There was a morning session of school from 9:00 to 12:00 and an afternoon session from 1:00 to 4:00. 

The school was filled to capacity the first year; children who lived on farms on Route 214 were bused to the school. In 1972, as a result of court ordered desegregation, children were bused from Seat Pleasant as well. Because of limited space initially, no music room was available requiring the music teacher to roll a piano around to the classrooms. The classrooms in wing one and two had open spacing. Over a period of time, partitions, then walls, were added to separate the classes. 

Since 1971, only a few things have changed at Pointer Ridge--lunch is more expensive, physical education and music are taught five times every two weeks instead of three times a week, a 6-classroom addition and five temporary trailers have been added to alleviate over-crowding, and the school has been wired for the communication tools of the coming decade--computers and the Internet. The school also welcomes many of the community groups to utilize the school facilities during the week. 

Pointer Ridge is now home to approximately 800 students, and parental support remains a major ingredient for a successful school year. The school colors of blue and gold and the Panther mascot are still proudly worn.

This page last updated on September 08, 2004
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