By Daisy Tsaftarides — The class of 2013 contains the last select group of students to receive an education from Pleasant View School for the Arts. Pleasant View was established and given the name PVSA in 1987.
“It was nice to go to a school where you could do things important to you that were not offered in other schools,” senior Taylor Stupeck said.

Pleasant View was open to students in grades four through eight. Students in third grade were invited to “identify” themselves and their ability to perform in the arts. The identification process (try-outs) consisted of demonstrating students’ skills in dance, drama, music and visual arts.

Only about 80 students were accepted into PVSA each year, the other students remained at their same school.
Students accepted to the school had a common passion for the arts program.

“It was fun to go to a school with kids who were passionate about the same things I was,” senior Melissa Spetich said. “The kids at Pleasant View respected the arts and wanted to be there unlike the kids here who seem to take the arts as a joke.”

PVSA was not only strong in the arts program but also in academics. Kaleidoscope was offered to students who showed the most academic strength. About 15 students were accepted into this program based on test scores.
The arts program is now found in the high school and middle schools for students to further themselves and their educations. The “identification” process is no longer needed to partake in these programs since they are offered at each of the schools.

[Updated Aug. 7, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]