Pizitz Middle School
| Pizitz Middle School | |
| |
| Established | 1967 |
|---|---|
| School type | Public |
| District | Vestavia Hills City Schools |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Principal | David Miles |
| Enrollment | 1,025 (2010) |
| Colors | Red, white & blue |
| Mascot | Pirates |
| Location | 2020 Pizitz Drive Vestavia Hills |
| Website | vestavia.k12.al.us/pizitz |
'Louis Pizitz Middle School, built in 1967 as Vestavia Hills Junior High School, is a public middle school in the Vestavia Hills City Schools system, serving the southwestern area of Vestavia Hills. It is named for Louis Pizitz, founder of the Pizitz department store chain, whose family donated the land for the school.
The school was constructed by Jefferson County Schools as a feeder for Berry High School. The "Pirates" name was chosen to reflect that relationship. It became a middle school in the newly-created Vestavia City Schools system in 1970 and was re-dedicated as Pizitz Middle School on May 21, 1972.
Pizitz was recognized by the U. S. Department of Education in 1995 and 1996 as a "Blue Ribbon School". In 2003 the school was recognized for having the highest scores on the Stanford Achievement Test in Alabama.
Before the construction of Liberty Park Middle School in 2008, Pizitz served all 6th through 8th grade students in Vestavia Hills. That year a $3.7 million contract was awarded to Duncan & Thompson Construction Services to renovate the school's administrative offices, lobby, stairwells and bathrooms as well as to replace floor tiles and lockers in hallways and classrooms. Additional renovations planned for a later phase include updating the cafeteria and replacing windows.
Principals
- John Edwards, 1968-1969
- Jack Hazelrig, 1969
- Richard Lovelady, 1970-1971
- Rafael McDaniel, 1971-1975
- Richard Ward III, 1975-1976
- Billy Anderson, 1976-1989
- Henry Clark, 1989-1991
- David Miles, 1991-2014
- Tyler Burgess, 2014-2015
- Meredith Hanson, 2015-
References
- Whiting, Marvin Yeomans (2000) Vestavia Hills, Alabama: A Place Apart Birmingham: Vestavia Hills Historical Society
- Singleton, William C. III (July 9, 2008) "Two Vestavia Hills schools undergo renovations." Birmingham News