'Decommissioning' ceremony set for Hallsville School
Sep. 21—A special decommissioning ceremony will be held at Hallsville Elementary School this weekend, commemorating the school's long educational tradition in the Queen City.
The final bell rang at Hallsville this past June, 130 years after it opened. A decommissioning ceremony and open house will be held this Saturday, Sept. 25, from 3-5 p.m. at the school, located at 275 Jewett St.
The event is free and open to the public
Superintendent of Schools John Goldhardt recommended the school be closed as part of his Fiscal Year 2022 budget. School board members approved the budget earlier this year.
Hallsville reported the smallest student population among all city elementary schools last school year. It counted 238 students this past fall.
"Decommissioning" is part of the process when a city school is no longer used as a school. Because all schools are city property, the building must be officially returned to the city.
Hallsville closed in June, with students moving this fall to Jewett Street Elementary or Southside Middle School.
Forrest Ransdell, who previously served as principal at Hallsville and is now a network director for the school district, has been coordinating the process of closing Hallsville.
"130 years is a long time, and we've had many generations — entire families — come through here," Ransdell said in a statement.
"This event will commemorate that educational tradition, and recognize the contributions of those who made this school what it is. We hope to see some of those people at this event."
