Muncie says goodbye to elementary school
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) – The community said a final farewell to Storer Elementary in Muncie on Wednesday night.
It’s one of three school buildings that will close for good in the fall as the district faces financial issues and declining enrollment numbers.
An open house Wednesday was an emotional night for many parents, students and former employees. Storer Elementary has been part of the Muncie community since 1959.
“I worked in the cafeteria for 11 years, I’ve seen a lot of kids come and go from here. It is sad to see the building be closed,” said former employee, Denise New.
She said she knew this day could come. She remembers seeing declining enrollment in the district firsthand.
“This while cafeteria would be full, and then we got down to where it was half the cafeteria,” said New.
Many spent time flipping though yearbooks and old newspaper clippings, and talking about how the thing they will miss most from Storer Elementary is the people.
“It is not really the building, it was the core of teachers that we wanted to keep. We understand the building is a little old,” said a Storer parent, Mark Washburn.
Both teachers and students are being reassigned to other elementary buildings.
Those at the open house say aside from the people, the location and excellent academics are what made Storer Elementary so special.
Sutton Elementary and Mitchell Elementary are also set to close before the new school year. So far there is no word on if similar events will be held at those buildings.