Finley Avenue Elementary School one of the lesser know schools in Birmingham, Alabama. This news article will explain what Finley Avenue Elementary School is.
Finley Avenue Elementary School was a negro school which covered classes for African American students enrolled in grades 1 through 8 and students who were living in the Finley neighborhood. Classes did not go all the way to 9th grade. This school was small in term of size and facilities. Claude Wesley was the principal at Finley Avenue Elementary School. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=geB7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4)
Finley Avenue Elementary School was constructed on a 115,434 square foot lot (2.65 acres) in 1950. The building was a single story structure. (Ref: https://www.spokeo.com/AL/Birmingham/135-Finley-Ave-W)
The Birmingham News reported about the opening of Finley Avenue Elementary School on the Tuesday of March 18, 1952. Finley Avenue Elementary School was built as a modern new school opened to ease crowding in other negro schools operated by the Birmingham City School District. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/575244301/)
Finley Avenue School open, eases crowding
A modern new school opened today for 282 negro elementary students in Northwest Birmingham. The seven-room first unit of the city school system's Finley Avenue School was opened informally as students switched over from crowded double sessions in Lewis School nearby. Opening of the new school marked the end of double sessions at Lewis. Total estimated cost of the new is school is $88.884. The school is located at 135 Finley Ave W. The site occupies an entire city block in a Negro residential area.
Site negotiations for expansion of the new Finley Avenue Elementary School were made during a board meeting in 1957. 7 new classrooms, a lunchroom, and combination auditorium-gym were built onto the Finley Avenue School campus as additions for a cost of $151,268. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/575032789/)
“Site negotiations for the new school are now in progress. Seven new classrooms, a lunchroom and auditorium-gym combination at Finley Avenue School, 135 Finley Ave W, cost $151,268 and made that an eight-grade school.”
Mrs. Louise Burgess was made principal of named principal of Finley Avenue Elementary School in 1985 when Martin Elementary School closed. She retired from her position as principal in 1987 which was right before Finley Avenue Elementary School closed. Finley Avenue Elementary School would be closed during the 1989-1990 school year. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/795062955/)
[When Martin closed in 1985, Mrs. Burgess was named principal of Finley Avenue Elementary School. She retired in 1987. Just before Finley was closed. At that time she was presented with the retirement recognition award which cited her “unique spirit of dedication”. In addition to teaching Mrs Burgess was an active fundraiser for the United Negro College Fund.]
Birmingham Public Schools, formally the Birmingham City School District, sold Finley Avenue Elementary School to a business called Jordan Scrap Inc. on a quitclaim deed in 2016 for a price of $165,700. (Ref: https://www.neighborwho.com/AL/Birmingham/135-Finley-Ave-W/)
Jordan Scrap Inc. sold Finley Avenue Elementary School to another business called Aletheia House Inc in 2017 on a warranty deed and quitclaim deed.
Aletheia House Inc currently operates in what used to be Finley Avenue Elementary School. As a treatment facility, Aletheia House Inc operates as a Level III.3 : clinically managed medium intensity residential treatment for adult males and females. Funding comes from Medicaid and block grants. Aletheia House employs a staff of approximately 5 to 9 employees. (Ref: https://mh.alabama.gov/at_biz_dir/aletheia-house-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/)
Now this Aletheia House location branch primarily focuses on residential treatment and rehabilitation for men. This facility provides rehab for substance abuse and employment readiness training. (Ref: https://www.specialkindofcaring.org/contact-us/locations-by-city/)
“Provision of substance abuse treatment, employment readiness training, employment placement assistance, transportation to work, housing, meals, case management and other supportive services for homeless addicted men.”
(Ref: https://www.birminghamal.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/329publication.pdf)
Finley Avenue Elementary School is and was located at 135 Finley Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama, US 35204.
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