Welcome to Park Dale Lane Elementary School, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence (1987) by the United States Department of Education and also recognized three times as a California Distinguished School (1987, 1998, 2004) by the California Department of Education. Park Dale Lane opened in 1975 and is one of nine elementary schools located in the Encinitas Union School District. Park Dale Lane’s attendance area serves several neighborhoods in the city of Encinitas including Village Park, Cantabria, Cambria, the Manchester Road south of Encinitas Blvd., the southern corridor of El Camino Real and the north side of the Encinitas Blvd corridor west to Delphinium. The city is situated along the coast in north San Diego county and is often referred to as the "Surf and Flower Capital of the World".
Following a single track, modified year-round calendar, Park Dale Lane serves approximately 630 students in grades kindergarten through sixth. Taking advantage of the Class Size Reduction program enabled Park Dale Lane to have 20 students in each kindergarten through third grade classroom.
Even though STAR test scores of Park Dale Lane students have consistently been above the state average ("Advanced" and "Proficient" scores on the Content Standards Tests), we are continually looking for ways to improve our programs and meet the diverse needs of our students. This has resulted in continued annual improvement in our student achievement scores, above the state target for Academic Performance Index (API) rankings (most recent score is 859) and meeting targets in Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Eighty-two percent of our fifth grade students scored in the Healthy Fitness Zone on the 2008 - 2009 Fifth Grade California Physical Fitness Test.
The Park Dale Lane school community is dedicated to having students develop into life-long learners and responsible members of society. The Park Dale Lane vision is to develop students who are confident, competent, compassionate, competitive, and creative. Our commitment is to provide a child-centered education of the highest quality. By utilizing the unique resources of home, school, and the community, we seek to ensure a nurturing learning environment that values diversity and is rigorous in academic standards. Our reputation as a high performing school with a nurturing environment is well-known and is a result of a dedicated professional staff and an involved enthusiastic school community.
The high level of parent involvement at Park Dale Lane demonstrates that education is a priority within our school community. A large percentage of parents attend school functions on a regular basis. We have an active and supportive School Site Council, PTA, English Learner Advisory Committee and Encinitas Educational Foundation which provides support to many programs for students and families.
Fourteen years ago (1996) our community passed Proposition O, a facility bond that provided funds for a multi-purpose room, new classrooms and technology infrastructure for all classrooms. Upcoming modernization projects include new modular classrooms that will replace several older portable classrooms. Special needs students are provided a variety of support services which includes two learning center specialists, two special day classes, push-in teachers, after school intervention teachers, a school psychologist, and a speech/language pathologist. Other special needs support includes Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), Student Success Team (SST) and 504 Accommodation Plans.
Major challenges for Park Dale Lane over the next five years will include changes in family demographics, increases in extended day opportunities and the challenge to maintain a comprehensive high-quality academic program while meeting and exceeding the mandates of the federal government's No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, No Child Left Behind (State of California), and the state's Public School Accountability Act.
We see our children as our nation's most important resource and take very seriously our responsibility to provide the best possible education. We look forward to working with you toward this endeavor. We appreciate your visit to our web page and showing interest in our school.
Tim Reeve, Ed.D.
Principal
