
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills City Schools 50th anniversary celebration will be held Oct. 5 at the new Pizitz Middle School and will feature the dedication of the new campus that was formerly Berry High School.
Although it was delayed, there will be a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vestavia Hills City Schools this month.
The event will be held Oct. 5 at the new Pizitz Middle School, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m., said Whit McGhee, the school system’s director of public relations.
The event will feature the dedication of the new campus, which was the former Berry High School. Fifty years ago, when the school system was formed, students left that campus and joined the newly created Vestavia Hills school system.
The event will also feature the honoring of the inaugural VHCS Hall of Fame class and the showing of a video that features reflections on the history of the school system, showcasing the values that have made Vestavia schools one of the most well-regarded in the state, McGhee said.
“I’m really excited for everybody to see it,” he said.
While McGhee said he had hoped to have student performances during the event, the COVID-19 pandemic has made that impossible.
The Vestavia Hills Board of Education was formed on April 30, 1970, with the first school opening Aug. 31 of that year. The school system has expanded throughout the years and now includes five elementary schools, two middle schools, Vestavia Hills High School and the newly-created freshman campus.
McGhee said discussions about what the event would look like and how the system would celebrate this milestone began taking place in spring 2019 and have included stakeholders from around the community.