School kicks off 50th year celebration

By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Fifty red and white balloons sailed away quickly in the western sky and more than 47 dozen frosted cupcakes were eaten as students and faculty members at Crestline Elementary kicked off a 50th anniversary celebration Sept. 2.
Preceding the balloon release and food, students totaling more than 550 assembled in a field on the south side of the school to hear Principal Robin Varwig introduce several guests and extend a happy birthday greeting. The guests included Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, Superintendent Mike Reed, Mayor Dwight Tankersley and former Principal Loy Greenhill.
Sen. Orr presented the school a resolution of congratulations, which was adopted by the Alabama Senate.
Reed and Tankersley both expressed pride in the school and extended happy birthday greetings and Greenhill offered a brief account of his ties to the school.
Varwig said a committee composed of faculty members and PTO members is in charge of planning activities to celebrate the school’s half-century of service to the community.
Crestline School opened as West Hartselle Elementary School on Sept. 2, 1958, with five teachers and a principal/teacher. The facility consisted of six classrooms, restrooms, offices health room and lobby and had a first year enrollment of 175 students.
The school name was changed to Crestline at the third PTA meeting, after the names Crestview and Crestview Heights were suggested at the second PTA meeting.
The school site—18.8 acres -previously served as a landing strip for light, privately- owned airplanes. Iot was purchased for $16,800. The first building cost $67,550. It was paid for by revenue from a 5.5 mill district property tax, which was approved by Hartselle voters 605 to 83 votes.