Flower Hill Still Sparkling after 54 Years
Flower Hill Elementary School was erected in 1954 in response to a surge in enrollment experienced by the Huntington School District during the post-World War II era. Huge tracts of wooded land and farms were snatched up by developers who later erected hundreds of houses throughout the area.
The basic design and layout of Flower Hill closely mirrors that of its sister schools, Southdown and Washington. All three were simultaneously constructed, using identical materials. The Flower Hill site, which includes 14 acres of land, is tucked into a beautiful area of the school district, crammed with flowering trees.
As students poured into Huntington during the 1950’s, district trustees moved to address the space crunch by proposing an additional wing for Flower Hill. Residents supported the idea and the structure went up in 1958, resulting in the current dimensions.
Enrollment is projected to be 376 students during the 2008/09 school year. Marlon Small serves as the school’s principal, providing faculty, students and staff with educational leadership and guidance.
“Flower Hill is a great place to work and learn,” Mr. Small said. “It has a longstanding history of a close partnership between our teachers and parents. Our teachers and parents are extremely dedicated and supportive, and this has been the key ingredient to our students’ success.”
Flower Hill features an attractive entrance area and the building’s exterior features classic red brick. A second parking lot was recently built to better accommodate the needs of employees and parents visiting the school. More site improvements are planned.
In addition to regular classrooms, Flower Hill contains space that is used for self-contained instruction, physical therapy, ESL services, computer instruction and art, reading and music classes. Smaller spaces are used for speech, math, occupational therapy, psychological services, remedial instruction and speech therapy.
The school also has a gym with a stage in one end, a cafeteria for breakfast and lunch and a well-equipped library and media center. There are two outdoor playground areas for student recreation and exercise.
The school’s original kindergarten playground was replaced last year with modern equipment. An extravagant garden area was created behind the gym, between the building’s two wings. To descend into the basement, which is really just one large room, you must exit the building and utilize a separate entrance. It is used strictly for storage.
Flower Hill threw itself a 50th anniversary party four years ago, as did its counterparts Southdown and Washington. At one time or another, the school has housed students ranging from kindergarten through sixth grade. Today it services those in grades K-3.
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