East Side Elementary School celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2002. During those 50 years, the school and the surrounding area have changed quite a bit. In 1946, when Miss Lois Holcomb donated 10 acres to the Cobb County Board of Education, East Cobb County was mainly farmland, and Indian Hills had not even been developed. In fact, when the school was originally planned, it was called Mt. Bethel Elementary because the new school was being constructed to replace a two-room school of the same name. It was only at the opening of the school in 1952 that it was christened East Side Elementary. When East Side opened, it contained 11 classrooms in a single building and only served 314 students in grades 1 - 8.

An early photo of East Side

Over the years, East Cobb County has grown and East Side has expaned along with it. Two classrooms were added in 1957, four were added in 1962, and another four were added in 1965. By 1969, the population had increased so much in the surrounding area that a new wing of 11 classrooms was added as well as a new cafeteria, kitchen, and a covered play area. The original kitchen/cafeteria area was renovated to become the media center that we still use today.

East Side in the 1960s

During the early and middle 1970s, East Side served over 1,000 students, but as new schools were built in East Cobb, East Side's enrollment dropped. Portable classrooms made their appearance, and a "modular" hall containing 6 classrooms was added to the East Side "footprint" in 1986. In 1996, five more classrooms were added, and a 6 classroom wing was finished in 2002. Currently, during the 2005 - 2006 school year, East Side has 38 classrooms and over 800 students in grades K - 5.

Nancy.Robinson@cobbk12.org, Dawn.Alexander@cobbk12.org & Elizabeth1.Wood@cobbk12.org
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Copyright 2006