photo by: Shawn Valverde

Parents gather on the last day of school ever at Pinckney Elementary.

As they have for years on the last day of school, Pinckney students lined the hallways of the school to “clap out” graduating fifth graders. The younger students clapped, gave high fives and sang the Pinckney school song as the fifth graders walked out of the school’s double doors for the last time. But unlike past years, Wednesday was everyone’s last day at Pinckney, and as the students filed out, rather than the typical excitement about the start of summer, some burst into tears.

The “clap out” is one of many Pinckney traditions that ended Wednesday with the closure of the school, which though it has gone through different iterations — starting with a log cabin in 1854 and most recently with the current building from 1931 — has been operating in that general location for nearly 170 years.

Gone too will be the “morning opener,” where every Friday, teachers, students and parents gather in the gym at the start of the day to note accomplishments and sing short songs: the teachers to their students, the parents to their children and the students, you might say, to the spirit of the school itself. The songs call on the students to do their best and be kind, and are one of many traditions that exemplify the links that bind this close-knit school of about 200 kids.

“I could tell you stories about each one of them,” said Sherry Tamerius, who now works in the building every day as a long-term substitute after spending 19 years teaching at Pinckney.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

Graduating fifth graders pass through lines of clapping and singing students and teachers on the last day of school ever at Pinckney Elementary.

Tamerius stands on the playground, in the shadow of the iconic two-story brick building that has stood proudly on Sixth Street for decades. Students cross the playground and blacktop gathering yearbook signatures from their friends, and just as often, from teachers and staff.

Fifth grader William Fretz, who attended Pinckney since kindergarten, said he was sad for the students living near the school who would not be able to attend next year.

“Everyone knows me here,” he said. “Everyone knows my name.”

Fourth grader Finn Savoie, who has also attended Pinckney since kindergarten, said he would miss all the people at the school.

“Since it’s closing, we’re not going to all be together,” Finn said.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

Fourth grader Finn Savoie gets his yearbook signed on the last day of school ever at Pinckney Elementary.

The Lawrence school board voted to close Pinckney and Broken Arrow beginning next school year as a way to free up money for teacher and staff raises and other budget priorities. The school boundary changes related to the closure will divide Pinckney students between Hillcrest and Deerfield schools, and parents can request a transfer to other schools as well.

Finn’s point was illustrated immediately as he called to a friend standing nearby, whom he’d gone to school with since kindergarten. Standing by his side, fourth grader Akeenah Tutwiler said though initially she was going to transfer to New York school, she is now going to attend St. John Catholic School next year.

Akeenah said going into the last day at Pinckney, she felt both excited and sad. Excited because she and some friends had planned to all wear dresses for the last day, but sad because she realized what the last day meant.

“Because it was the last day of school and some of these teachers I would never see again,” Akeenah said.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

Pinckney fourth grader Akeenah Tutwiler gets her yearbook signed by Pinckney administrative assistant Mary Leek-Stolz on May 24, 2023.

Fifth grade teacher Monica Dutcher has spent her entire 13-year teaching career at Pinckney. Dutcher, who will be transferring to Hillcrest next year, said she will at least get to stay with some of the Pinckney students who are also transferring to that school, but that she will miss the sense of family. She mentioned the “morning opener” and the sense of togetherness and support.

“Just the sense of family, and the rallying and supporting of one another,” Dutcher said.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

Fifth grade teacher Monica Dutcher signs a student’s yearbook on the last day of school ever at Pinckney Elementary.

One parent, Ashlyn Smith, said she only lives a couple of blocks from the school, and she would miss the convenience of being so close. Smith’s daughter, Aminah Foeschler, just finished kindergarten, and Smith said she hopes her new school, Hillcrest, will offer a similar environment.

“Pinckney was a very caring school,” Smith said.

For her part, Tamerius said she goes back and forth emotionally between being sad and angry about the school board’s decision to close Pinckney, as well as Broken Arrow. She said there is a lot of history in the building, and also spoke of the teachers, students and parents as a big family. As the Pinckney students — who are more racially and economically diverse than the district as a whole — transition to new schools next year, she said she hopes they get the same level of attention.

“My hope is that whatever class they land in, they will get that same love that we’ve been able to show them here,” Tamerius said.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

Pinckney staff pose for photo on the last day of school ever at Pinckney Elementary.

As the last day at Pinckney elementary came to a close, the history Tamerius spoke to was on full display. As students left the school’s front doors, several retired Pinckney teachers had gathered and were singing the school song. That included former teacher Becky Spradlin, who wrote the current school song in the mid 1990s, former librarian Janet Reeder, longtime former principal Lesa Frantz and former teacher Carolyn Evers.

“There is a spirit about this school,” Evers said, when asked why she made a point to be there. She held a sign that said: “Remember the good, carry it with you.”

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Longtime former principal Lesa Frantz, at left with bubbles; former teacher Carolyn Evers, at center with sign; and former teacher Becky Spradlin, far right, sing to Pinckney students as they leave school for the last time on May 24, 2023.

Frantz, who served as principal for 17 years, said the school has been a special place for many generations, and during her tenure people would regularly stop in who went to the school decades prior. She said that included a cohort of about 30 to 40 alumni who once arranged a reunion there.

“It’s not just us, it’s not just these kids,” Frantz said. “It has been years of tradition.”

As the fifth graders, who will transition to middle school next year, traveled through the ranks of younger students lining the halls on Wednesday, they also sang a song, one bidding goodbye to Pinckney. As tears, from both students and teachers, mixed with the clapping, the song took on much larger significance.

The moment was not lost on Pinckney Principal Jennifer Schmitt, who will move to Liberty Memorial Central Middle School next year with some of the graduating students.

“That’s been a tradition; it just took a different meaning this afternoon,” Schmitt said. “We were kind of all clapping for ourselves to move on to the next chapter.”

While Schmitt said she realized how emotionally taxing the closure was and that she hoped to never have to close a school again, she also said she knew students would be met with love and care at their new schools too.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

Pinckney Principal Jennifer Schmitt signs student’s yearbooks on May 24, 2023.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

A sign saying “Save Pinckney” is seen in the window of the school on May 24, 2023.