GARFIELD, Ark. — On May 11, the Garfield Elementary School —the longest-operating elementary in the state— hosted a reunion celebration to mark its final year.
Over 100 community members, former teachers, and students attended the ceremony, with some even traveling from out of state.
Last year, the Rogers School Board voted to close the school down because of enrollment and cost issues.
"Here in Garfield, it’s the only school, and it's the pride of this community,” Stephen Bowman said. “I'm just lucky to have been a part of it for the last 12 years."
Bowman, now a principal at Lowell Elementary, spent 12 years as principal at Garfield Elementary. During his time, he said he did his best trying to keep the school's history alive.
Built out of wood in 1888, the first floor of the Ross building was built In 1900, Bowman confirms that in 1921 "they raised it to the second story ... They've been educating kids here for over 135 years."
“We're going to take care of these kids going forward,” Garfield Mayor Gary Blackburn said. “We've arranged a place for them to go to school in Garfield next year ... eventually, they'll all go to Rogers.”
During Saturday’s reunion celebration, alumni as far back as the 1940s came to pay their respects to the school that many said is the heartbeat of the community.
Attendees caught up with former classmates and teachers, walked their former hallways, and reminisced on the time they were students.
"It was always the place to meet whenever you wanted to do something or get together,” said Rebecca Schnitzer, the former girls' basketball coach at Garfield Elementary. “There were just so many events that went on here."
Many of those who attended described Garfield as a school from the outside, but a family from within.
"The relationships that we had amongst the staff, the kids, and the parents— it didn't make it feel like work,” Bowman said. “We felt like we were helping raise the kids of this community so that they could grow up and come back and be a contributing member here.”
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