Daryl Morrow stood on the steps of Gary’s Jefferson Elementary Friday morning, reflecting on his day ahead, but also thinking of the school’s past.
As its custodian, he planned to finish his usual round of daily chores. This time, there’s a twinge of anger and resignation.
Jefferson, at 601 Jackson St., is closing its doors for the final time Monday. Its 350 students will head to new schools next fall. Morrow is unsure where he’s headed, but at least he still has a job.
Jefferson, which bears the name of the nation’s third president, is the latest casualty in the urban school district whose debts are so unsustainable the state has to bail it out nearly every payday. It’s closed about 30 schools in the past 14 years.
The state finally took control of the district and plans to install an emergency manager this summer, who will appoint a new academic and financial officers in an attempt to turn things around.
The Gary School Board voted to close Jefferson in December under intense pressure from the state. It also ended its pricey contract for the New Tech High School program and those students will go to the West Side Leadership Academy.
On Friday, Jefferson’s sixth-graders picked up their graduation certificates in a bittersweet ceremony in the school cafeteria.
Morrow, meanwhile, reminisced about his days at Jefferson. “I started kindergarten here when it opened in 1971,” he said. “Every school I went to in the district now — Beckman and Horace Mann — closed down.”
Parent Ericka Goodlow, who has three children at Jefferson, isn’t sure where she will send them next fall. “I love Jefferson. I’m mad they closed it. The staff here cares about kids. They teach them something… This is the best school in Gary.”
Some parents said they’re considering charter schools, one of the reasons Gary school officials say the district fell into decline. The city is home to seven charter schools that have attracted thousands of students away from the school district.
Parents Ana and Francisco Tamez are also sorry to see Jefferson shut its doors. “I was real happy with the staff and the principal,” said Ana Tamez. The couple isn’t sure where they’ll send their son, Jose, 12, next year.
“We’ll visit some other schools,” she said.
“It has not been an easy road for our children this year,” said Dwight Pointer, a school administrator who serves as a culture and climate specialist. “In spite of all the negativity, the students come every day and did their best.”
Special education teacher Yana Gray-Mays retired in 2014, but returned as a long-term substitute when the district couldn’t find a competent teacher. “Nobody took my class, so I came back last year and this year,” she said. Eight of her 16 special education students gained their certificates, she boasted.
Kyran Bey, 12, was one of those students. He said he felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. “Now, I’m off to a different stage and to get a better education.”
Meanwhile, the future at Jefferson is uncertain. Just two years ago, the city tore down the crumbling Ambassador Apartments complex across from the school out of concern for student safety.
Morrow said he remembers when the neighborhood was vibrant and the Ambassador’s rooftop held a swimming pool and was once one of the ritziest addresses in the city.
Standing on the steps of Jefferson, fingering the set of keys around his neck, Morrow wished he could turn back the clock.
“I hate to see a structure like this go,” Morrow said. “Too many buildings are just fading away.”
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
