KINGSTON, Pa. — Students and teachers in Luzerne County bid farewell on Friday to their beloved school. With a final vote scheduled for August, the Wyoming Valley West School board plans to close Schuyler Avenue Elementary.
"It's a special school," said reading specialist Patricia Burns. "It's an older building, but what goes on inside these classrooms is amazing."
Students won't return to this building in the fall. The Wyoming Valley West School Board says the planned closure is due to costly repairs to keep up with the building that's more than 100 years old.
"We have been emotional. The kids have a lot of questions. They feel bad because they are losing some of their friends and their teachers. They are just going to miss everything about the school because it's a nice neighborhood school," said Burns.
Pictures on the wall capture the school through the eyes of the students. Staff members call this moment a teachable life lesson.
"Unfortunately, things change, and there is nothing we can do about it, and at a young age, they are going to experience that they will make new friends. They will go to different schools. They might even see some of their teachers and staff at the new schools," said Patricia Karlonis, head teacher at Schuyler Avenue Elementary.
It's also a day of bittersweet celebration, reminiscing on the fun times over the years. Students and teachers gathered for one last group photo.
Parents are also emotional, thinking about the next chapter for their children.
"It's just sad, more so that they are used to this small-school feel, and they are going to much larger schools, crowded schools. The teachers are just one of a kind here, so I think it will be a huge adjustment," said parent Melissa Adams.
Before the final day came to an end, students and teachers finished up with a special song.
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