NORTH SHORE ELEMENTARY HISTORY

IN 1942, NORTH SHORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS BUILT TO HOUSE GRADES 1 THROUGH 9.
THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL SITE WAS BUILT FOR $178,864 AND BY 1944 AN ADDITIONAL COST OF $35,065.00 WAS ADDED.
AT THAT TIME THE SCHOOL LIFE SPAN WAS EXPECTED TO BE ONLY 50 YEARS.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOL IN THIS AREA BROUGHT WITH IT MANY NEEDS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, AND BUSINESSES.
AMONG THESE WERE THE:
NORTHSIDE MEN'S CLUB
EAST 44TH STREET CIVIC ASSOCIATION
JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
DUCHESS CORNER
JAX MEATS
MAIN STREET DRIVE-IN THEATRE
AND THE GATEWAY SHOPPING CENTER.
AS THE NEED OF THE COMMUNITY CONTINUED TO GROW, IT EXPANDED FURTHER WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO MORE SCHOOLS, BRENTWOOD AND LONGBRANCH.

THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT NORTH SHORE ELEMENTARY
INCREASED FROM 800 IN 1985 TO 1200 BY 1989.

THE POPULATION OF THE SCHOOL IS PREDOMINATELY BLACK WITH A MINORITY OF WHITE STUDENTS. WITH THIS INCREASING SCHOOL POPULATION, THE DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED RENOVATION AND AN ADDITION TO NORTH SHORE ELEMENTARY IN 1988.
BY 1989, THE SCHOOL FACILITY INCLUDED A NEW MEDIA CENTER, ADULT RESTROOMS, AND A NEW KITCHEN WITH A REFURBISHED CAFETERIA, A TEACHERS LOUNGE AND A COMPUTER LAB.

A REZONING OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TRANSPIRED IN 1990. A NEW SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN A NEARBY AREA WHICH, AFTER THE REZONING, CAUSED NORTH SHORE TO LOSE MORE THAN SIX HUNDRED STUDENTS. THIS WOULD DRASTICALLY CUT FUNDING AT NORTH SHORE, BUT THE FACULTY AND STAFF RALLIED TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDS BY PETITIONING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE CHAPTER I FUNDING. THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING WOULD BE USED TO LOWER CLASS SIZE AND ACQUIRE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES TO BRING NORTH SHORE INTO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

NORTH SHORE WAS AWARDED FULL CHAPTER I STATUS IN 1991. THIS AFFORDED THE LUXURY OF HIRING A COMPUTER LEAD TEACHER TO ASSIST IN OPERATING THE NEW JOSTENS COMPUTER LAB. AT THIS SAME TIME, OTHER SCHOOLS WERE LOSING THEIR RESOURCES FOR ART, MUSIC AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, BUT NORTH SHORE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THESE SERVICES.
THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED TEACHER RESOURCES SUCH AS MANIPULATIVES, AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES. HOWEVER, THE MOST BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF THE CHAPTER I FUNDS WAS THE GREATLY REDUCED TEACHER TO PUPIL RATIO.
IN MOST CASES, THIS DROPPED CLASS SIZES AT LEAST BY 25%.

WITH NEW WIRING AND ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TELEVISION, BROADCASTING AND THE INTERNET TO THE CLASSROOMS, NORTH SHORE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AMONG DUVAL COUNTY SCHOOLS TO ACHIEVE THIS MILESTONE.
NORTH SHORE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE RECOGNITION AND WAS PROUD TO BE HOME TO
MRS. GRACE WILLIAMS, THE 1996-97 FLORIDA TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

FLORIDA BEGAN GRADING SCHOOLS ACCORDING TO STUDENT TEST SCORES. A LOW POINT IN THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY CAME IN 1998-1999 WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNATED AS AN "F" SCHOOL. WITH THE HARD WORK OF DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS, THE CREATION OF HIGHER STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS AND THE ADOPTION OF THE AMERICA'S CHOICE SCHOOL DESIGN, NORTH SHORE STUDENT TEST SCORES INCREASED AND THE SCHOOL WAS
AWARDED A "C" RATING IN JUNE OF 2002.