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Bennett Elementary closes forever

By Laura Wibbenmeyer

CAIRO, IL (KFVS) - As most students are getting out of school for the summer, one elementary school in Cairo is closing forever.

Dropping enrollment and rising maintenance costs forced Bennett Elementary to close down.

The school opened it's doors in the late 1940s and no one thought they would see the day when it closed.

"I've been through here, my children and actually I think my mom's been through here," said Tasha Posey.

Behind Bennett's doors are plenty of memories from past and present students.

The most missed memories won't be the one's packed up in boxes, rather the people that created the memories.

Third grader Spencer Newton says he will miss all his teachers.

"I'm going to miss all the staff and the teachers that have been so nice to me," said Newton.

Principal Rose Gayle Pickett says she has spent over half of her life at Bennett and shutting the doors is like shutting off a huge piece of her life.

"It's sad but we are going to deal with it," said Pickett.

Bennett Elementary will merge with Emerson Elementary. Bennett was home to 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders and they will now move to Emerson which was home to Pre-K, 1st and 2nd graders.

The new school will have about 270 students and Pickett says it will be tighter than what everyone is used to but it will work. Picket also says Bennett Elementary truly will be missed!

From the luncheon...

The building that refused to die!

That would be the old Cairo Junior High School building, which closed years ago when CJHS merged with CHS, only to be reborn as the the Cairo Community Education Center (CCEC)...the current location of the District's Central Office.

When the District announced that it was going to restructure, Bennett Elementary and the District's Central Office were slated for closing.

As you will recall, the CJSHS "Green Hall" was to be remodeled in order to house the District's preschool program and the Superintendent's complex (at a cost of approximately $300,000.) In fact, remodeling had begun...

Well, stop the presses!

As the article above confirms, Bennett Elementary did NOT dodge the bullet and is in the process of being shuttered. Teachers and staff (at both Emerson and Bennett) have been busy boxing up materials for transfer. (Emerson is involved because teachers upstairs are being moved downstairs to make room for the former Bennett staff who will occupy the second floor of the new "Cairo Elementary School".

However...

Remodeling has been halted in the "Green Hall". According to Cairo Superintendent Leotis Swopes, the old Cairo Junior High School building will remain open for (at least) another year, continuing to serve as the District's Central Office AND temporarily housing the preschool program.

The reason...

The District is optimistic that it will be able to get grant money to add onto the present Emerson Elementary School site. Needless to say, construction of this magnitude would not be accomplished in time for the 2010-2011 School Year.