Perry Elementary in Belvidere opened its doors more than 125 years ago. This week marks the last day of school at the beloved neighborhood school, which is closing after the Belvidere District 100 board voted earlier this spring to shutter Perry.
On Wednesday, generations of students and families celebrated the school. They walked the halls, glanced into classrooms they sat in decades ago, smiled and reminisced one more time.
But it was a sad day for many of them. Former Perry student and current Belvidere Mayor Clinton Morris was emotional reading a proclamation and offered a message to students struggling with the closure.
"They will stay with you forever. So, keep positive, keep your chin up," he said. "I know that this is true because I walked through these same doors 56 years ago."
Lisa Borgen sported a Perry pin she got as a student in the 1970s. It was the first time she'd been back in her old elementary school in half a century.
"You hate to say it was only a matter of time, but you can't beat a better school than this," she said. "Whenever we have high school reunions, we have the biggest class from the grade schools. We all get together, and it's like time just stood still."
Some parents, like Theresa Binek, were still more angry than sad that the school board voted to close her kid's school.
"They pretended to give us the chance to speak when they had their minds made up the whole entire time," said Binek.
Two years ago, the District 100 board considered closing Perry but voted to keep it open after public pressure.
The board cited ongoing maintenance and accessibility concerns, as well as declining enrollment.
Next year, Perry students will attend another Belvidere school based on their parents' preference and a lottery system. The future of the historic 1897 building remains unclear.
It's one of several schools in northern Illinois closing this spring, at least partially because of enrollment.
The Diocese of Rockford announced that Aquin Catholic Academy in Freeport will close after the school year. Because of falling enrollment, Aquin stopped offering high school classes two years ago.
The Harlem School District in Machesney Park is closing two elementary schools.
A few months ago, voters in LaMoille chose to deactivate their high school, but their school board hasn't formally approved the closure.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
