'It's a special place.' Hillsdale Elementary alumni bid farewell to much-loved school

VERMILLION TWP. − Over her 28-year tenure at Hillsdale Elementary School, Missy Dropsey taught first, second and third grades, and she always kept the same classroom.

It's the room her dad, Robert Gosnell, sat in as a first grader, she said.

"It's a special place," Dropsey said as she recalled memories while touring the building on Saturday during an open house.

The halls of the school were densely packed at the first of three building tributes scheduled before the opening of Hillsdale Local School District's new facility.

Ashland remembers early school districtsFlurry of consolidations establishes familiar districts

Alumni recalled their own experiences at the school, and many also reminisced about parents and grandparents who attended before them.

Emily Van Gilder, who is excited for the new school, said three generations of her family attended school in this building.

It started out serving first through 12th grade after it was built in 1928, and ultimately became a preschool- through fourth-grade building. The 2022-2023 school year is its last year of service.

Former Hillsdale students relive memories during school tour

Van Gilder's grandfather was a member of the class of 1951.

Her father, Rob Van Gilder, class of '88, said his daughter sent a text about the open house. He now lives in Montana and had already planned a trip to Ohio that coincided with the event.

"Everything in this section looks pretty much the same," he said as he lingered in one of the hallways.

Trevor Miller said his daughter Aria's first and only year at Hillsdale Elementary puts her in the same kindergarten classroom he attended.

The new building is "probably a good thing," he said while acknowledging, "there is a lot of emotion tied to this building."

The new school "is beautiful; it's gorgeous," said Dropsey. However, "My heart strings are very attached here.

"All three of my kids graduated from here," she said, going on to become a doctor, a mental health counselor and a teacher. "We are putting out some really special, wonderful kids."

"I'm glad we were able to do a day like today," said Principal Tom Williams, calling the Hillsdale community close-knit and pointing out a lot of people visiting are connecting with best friends.

Jacqueline Workman reminded a friend of a room that used to be a study hall when they were sophomores.

"This used to be the everything school," Workman said, referring to when it housed all grade levels.

One study hall memory particularly stood out to her. She was there when it was announced over the PA system — still attached to some of the walls in the building — that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.

"Remember when you rang the fire bell?", a friend asked Beverly Owens, who attended Hillsdale Elementary, as did her children.

Owens said she accidentally set it off when she was putting on her boots, but didn't recall getting in trouble over the incident.

Old class photos, sweet and funny memories shared by all

Like others exploring the building and its many rooms and memories, Owens said, "A couple of times I got tears."

Deb Kyle came with her mother, Betty Harner, a former secretary in the building, and her father William Harner, who was a physical education teacher.

Attending school when they were staff members there, she said, the news of any bad behavior on her part "would have been home before I was."

Gene Yeater said he began his career in the building in 1953 as an industrial arts teacher.

"I was the last full-time principal in the building before they opened the new high school," said Yeater, who later served as a principal and a superintendent in the district and then as a county superintendent.

His children and grandchildren carried on the family legacy as students at Hillsdale.

"I've been blessed to be able to work in this location without ever moving," Yeater said.

On Saturday, memories surrounded Yeater, who pointed to his sister in one of dozens of copies of class pictures scattered throughout the building.

"I remember building that," he said, looking at a display cabinet.

Hillsdale Elementary students work to preserve old building's history

The entire school population has been in on the task of preserving the building's history.

Every student drew a picture of it, and their pictures were copied on papers detailing the history of the building and distributed to guests at the open house.

All of the memorabilia displayed was the work of staff, said Williams, who has been principal for 11 years and has served in the district for 20 years. Most of the staff members in the building have worked at Hillsdale for at least 15 years, he said.

A then-and-now cafeteria exhibit reminded visitors when a paddle was the accepted form of discipline, having given way to missing recess and losing points. Electric typewriters and overhead projectors used to be "cool technology."

Asked about the imposing teachers' desks that used to dominate classrooms, Dropsey said, "Nobody has (one) anymore. We don't ever sit at them."

Guests remarked to one another about their visits as they exited the building.

"Lots of memories," one said. "Good memories."

Two more open houses are scheduled:

• Hillsdale Middle School: 2-4 p.m. on April 23, 144 N. High St., Jeromesville;

• Hillsdale High School: 9 a.m. - noon on May 6, 485 Township Road 1902, Jeromesville.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Former students, staff bid fond goodbye to Hillsdale Elementary School