A Long History in the Community

School Days Before 1936

In the years prior to 1936, there were five 3-room community schools. They were as follows: Keysville, Welcome, Lithia, Picnic and Johnson-A in Ft. Lonesome. They all had grades 1 through 8. If after finishing grade 8, students wanted to go to high school they would have a choice of going to either Brandon High School, Turkey Creek High School or Plant City High School. Parents would furnish transportation for their children to attend one of these schools.

The Trustees of these 5 3-room schools got together and looked at the need for a consolidated high school in the community. Their purpose was to build a new school as nearly centralized between the communities as possible, so students could more easily avail themselves of a high school education. In 1936 the building for the school was completed at the southwest corner of Lithia Road and Highway 39. A gathering of the residents came to a dedication ceremony and to select a name for the school. After a few speeches, a call for a name was made.

Mr. Oscar Lastinger, a member of the first graduating class, distinctly remembers one lady suggesting a contraction of the community schools that would be: Key for Keysville, Wel for Welcome, Lit for Lithia and Pic for Picnic. The name would be pronounced “Keywellitpic”. That name was not adopted. Can you imagine cheerleaders at a football game trying to pronounce that name?

Another name “Pinecrest” was suggested by Mrs. Geneva Bateman, who was a teacher at the Welcome School. She suggested the name because of the abundance of pine trees on the site of the campus. This name was adopted, so the new school was named “Pinecrest”. So in 1936, opening with grades 1-9, Pinecrest High School began. The newly constructed school was dedicated by Congressman J. Hardin Peterson, who also presented the school with its first flag. The flag had previously flown over the United States capital in Washington, D.C. Mr. William E. Harker was the first Principal and Miss Mariceva Thompson, who was a teacher at the Picnic School, became the first librarian.

Since beginning…

Johnson-A at Ft. Lonesome came to join Pinecrest High School a year later, in 1937. In fact, the Johnson-A school building was move from Ft. Lonesome to the Pinecrest School Campus. It was a two room school building. One room was converted into an apartment for the school custodian and the other room became the Vocational Agriculture classroom.

During the following years, Pinecrest added a lunchroom, band room, clinic, barn, shower-locker building, a lighted football field, and nine additional classrooms. Presently Pinecrest Elementary School occupies thirty-eight acres. Pinecrest High School had its first graduating class in 1939.

In 1963, the lunchroom and auditorium burned. This brought progress in a roundabout way. A new cafeteria was built in 1964.

In 1971, Pinecrest High School graduated its last High School Class. It has been an elementary school ever since.

On March 2, 1979, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the building of a new campus. The old buildings were demolished. On November 5, 1980, the new building was dedicated.

In January of 2008, Pinecrest underwent a renovation. The renovation was completed in January of 2009 and included a new wing with twelve additional classrooms.

Pinecrest Elementary School has always received a lot of support from the surrounding community. The strong support from the community shows that the Trustees decision to create a centralized school was providential.

Pinecrest has traditionally been known for its indomitable school spirit, strong academics, and community involvement. Those same traditions and qualities continue today.