School staff feels loss at impending closure
Posted: Monday, May 26, 2008
NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) -- It probably won't hit the children until next year when they start their new schools and realize they're not ever coming back.
That's the sentiment echoed at Reiche School, one of two rural Norfolk schools closing their doors to public school students for good soon.
Reiche School, formerly known as District 37 School, was first organized on March 9, 1874. The first school was part of a timber claim and was built across the road from a family farm.
The number of students attending over the years has ranged from as few as seven to as many as 81.
District 37 merged with the Norfolk Public Schools after a 2005 legislative decision that dissolved all Class I elementary-only schools in Nebraska.
The school officially became known as Reiche Elementary School. In February of this year, the Norfolk school board voted unanimously to close both Reiche and Winter.
Sheri Ryan, secretary at Reiche for the past 11 years, said the closing is emotional for her as well as many of the parents she has discussed the issue with.
Ryan attended Reiche as a student, served as a school board member and put her children through the school, as well as serving on the Parent Teachers Organization and as a staff member.
"I'm very sad; it's a very emotional thing for me, but not more so than for a lot of people," Ryan said. "It's hard to leave something that's been such a big part of your life."
Ryan said the news of the Norfolk school board voting to close Reiche was not entirely unexpected, but parents and staff "held out hope for as long as possible."
"Parents and staff voiced their disapproval at it and couldn't believe that it was really going to happen," Ryan said. "It's been a threat over our head for years, but the fact that it actually happened was kind of shocking."
Ryan said students initially were a little bit fearful because they didn't know what the future would bring or where they would attend school next year, but they now seem to be more comfortable with the idea.
"They're talking about their new schools and stuff; there's a sense of excitement," she said.
Retired teacher Linda Winkler said students at Reiche excelled and benefited from the family environment provided at the school. Winkler, a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher for 18 years before retiring last year, remained involved with the school as a substitute teacher this year.
"The fact that our kids in a country school would score high in testing and always ranked high should be remembered," Winkler said.
Winkler said she and fellow teachers often bragged about the smaller classroom settings available at Reiche School, and she believes the students reaped the advantages of receiving more attention from educators.
Ryan agreed that classroom size was a factor in how well Reiche students performed both in and outside of school, and the children had many educational opportunities despite it being a small, rural school.
"The perspective of what people have had of a country school or rural school and our students' knowledge and understanding was equal or above the larger schools in the public school system," Ryan said. "They leave here and they have confidence in themselves and they excel well. Even though we're small, they have all the opportunities the kids have in any other school."
Bob Hastings, who serves as the principal at Reiche along with Washington Elementary School, acknowledges the sense of loss that parents, students and staff are dealing with during the final days of Reiche School.
"I think that a lot of (parents) are sad just because something they value is coming to an end," Hastings said. "However, I think they are a lot like the staff -- I think they're excited about what their new opportunities are going to be and they feel good about where their kids are going to go next year."
Though the 2007-08 school year was his first at Reiche, Hastings said, he would miss the investment in the school he saw from the people involved in it.
"This is a place where people feel like they're connected to everyone; it's not about the building and it's not about the name on the school, but it's the community piece that we don't want to lose in any school ever," he said.
That's the sentiment echoed at Reiche School, one of two rural Norfolk schools closing their doors to public school students for good soon.
Reiche School, formerly known as District 37 School, was first organized on March 9, 1874. The first school was part of a timber claim and was built across the road from a family farm.
The number of students attending over the years has ranged from as few as seven to as many as 81.
District 37 merged with the Norfolk Public Schools after a 2005 legislative decision that dissolved all Class I elementary-only schools in Nebraska.
The school officially became known as Reiche Elementary School. In February of this year, the Norfolk school board voted unanimously to close both Reiche and Winter.
Sheri Ryan, secretary at Reiche for the past 11 years, said the closing is emotional for her as well as many of the parents she has discussed the issue with.
Ryan attended Reiche as a student, served as a school board member and put her children through the school, as well as serving on the Parent Teachers Organization and as a staff member.
"I'm very sad; it's a very emotional thing for me, but not more so than for a lot of people," Ryan said. "It's hard to leave something that's been such a big part of your life."
Ryan said the news of the Norfolk school board voting to close Reiche was not entirely unexpected, but parents and staff "held out hope for as long as possible."
"Parents and staff voiced their disapproval at it and couldn't believe that it was really going to happen," Ryan said. "It's been a threat over our head for years, but the fact that it actually happened was kind of shocking."
Ryan said students initially were a little bit fearful because they didn't know what the future would bring or where they would attend school next year, but they now seem to be more comfortable with the idea.
"They're talking about their new schools and stuff; there's a sense of excitement," she said.
Retired teacher Linda Winkler said students at Reiche excelled and benefited from the family environment provided at the school. Winkler, a seventh- and eighth-grade teacher for 18 years before retiring last year, remained involved with the school as a substitute teacher this year.
"The fact that our kids in a country school would score high in testing and always ranked high should be remembered," Winkler said.
Winkler said she and fellow teachers often bragged about the smaller classroom settings available at Reiche School, and she believes the students reaped the advantages of receiving more attention from educators.
Ryan agreed that classroom size was a factor in how well Reiche students performed both in and outside of school, and the children had many educational opportunities despite it being a small, rural school.
"The perspective of what people have had of a country school or rural school and our students' knowledge and understanding was equal or above the larger schools in the public school system," Ryan said. "They leave here and they have confidence in themselves and they excel well. Even though we're small, they have all the opportunities the kids have in any other school."
Bob Hastings, who serves as the principal at Reiche along with Washington Elementary School, acknowledges the sense of loss that parents, students and staff are dealing with during the final days of Reiche School.
"I think that a lot of (parents) are sad just because something they value is coming to an end," Hastings said. "However, I think they are a lot like the staff -- I think they're excited about what their new opportunities are going to be and they feel good about where their kids are going to go next year."
Though the 2007-08 school year was his first at Reiche, Hastings said, he would miss the investment in the school he saw from the people involved in it.
"This is a place where people feel like they're connected to everyone; it's not about the building and it's not about the name on the school, but it's the community piece that we don't want to lose in any school ever," he said.
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