photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The building previously known as Broken Arrow Elementary School is currently housing Native American Student Services and may also be renovated for additional teaching and meeting spaces.

The bustling grade-school classes may be gone now, but things are still busy at the former Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementary buildings, which are working on “maker spaces” for Native crafts, places for students with disabilities to practice life skills, and even a new bakery.

Since the district closed the two schools last year as a cost-saving measure, the buildings have been repurposed to provide a variety of supports for children and young adults outside of a traditional classroom setting.

The Pinckney site, now known as Community Connections at Pinckney, now houses the Community Transition or C-Tran program, which provides workplace and independent living skills training and special education services for people ages 18 to 21. It also houses secondary therapeutic classrooms for middle and high school students, as well as a suspension alternative program.

Broken Arrow, meanwhile, houses the district’s Native American Student Services program, which offers educational opportunities and support for American Indian and Alaska Native children.

As the Journal-World reported, the district’s decision to close the elementary schools was made in March 2023 amid significant pushback from educators and families. The district estimated last year that closing one elementary school would save $300,000 to $400,000 annually, and the decision was intended to free up more money for raises for teachers and staff and other budget priorities. In addition to the closures, the board approved reducing middle and high school staff by 50 teachers.

photo by: Shawn Valverde

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

Community Connections at Pinckney

Pinckney now is home to multiple specialized programs to support students with disabilities, special social and emotional needs or other special circumstances.

Jenna Viscomi, administrator at Community Connections at Pinckney, said there are currently 30 students enrolled in C-Tran, which helps them work on life skills, work experience and other activities throughout the day.

One of those life skills is learning how to live independently. There will be two simulated apartments at the Pinckney site, estimated to be completed by the end of the year, so the students can learn how to cook meals, clean and manage their own living space.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

This area, pictured on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, in the Pinckney building will be turned into a coffee stop run by students participating in the Community Transition program for young adults.

Students in the C-Tran program will eventually have the chance to receive job training at one of the district’s newest projects: a bakery at the Pinckney building that will produce locally sourced grain products for school meals. As the Journal-World reported, the school district received a nearly $100,000 grant for the program from the United States Department of Agriculture. The bakery is expected to be ready next fall.

“We will have a baker on site and another part-time employee, and then my students will fill in those gaps about learning how to run dishwashers, roll out dough and all the things that come with running a bakery,” Viscomi said. There will also be a coffee shop at the building that will be run by students, which is estimated to be completed by the end of the year.

Beyond the C-Tran program, Viscomi said Pinckney houses middle and high school classrooms designated as secondary therapeutic spaces for students with significant social, emotional or mental health challenges that prevent them from attending their neighborhood schools. The program has an almost full-time social worker and a teacher along with additional staff. The students continue working on obtaining their credits as well as necessary social work time.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

There will be two classrooms turned into simulation apartments at Community Connections at Pinckney.

The building also houses the suspension alternative program dedicated to students on individualized education plans who have long-term suspensions or have been expelled. The students work toward gaining their credits and eventually graduating.

The district’s clothing and shoe closets are located here as well. Families can schedule appointments online to receive donated clothes and shoes at no cost.

Native American Student Services

Native American Student Services, or NASS, currently serves more than 530 students who represent more than 100 tribal affiliations. The services include providing school supplies, tutoring for secondary students, mentors for Native American clubs, advocacy for NASS families and professional development for teachers to incorporate American Indian literature and subjects into the classroom.

NASS Coordinator David Farve said the building is currently turning two classrooms into “maker spaces,” which could allow students and families to create things like ribbon skirts, hand drums and other regalia pieces. Additionally, NASS plans to set up a painting area for art projects. There have already been fabrics and quilting materials donated, so students will have some supplies to start with, Farve said.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Several pieces of quilt fabric, pictured on Thursday, October 10, 2024, were donated to Native American Student Services to help create a “maker space.”

There is a lot of space within the building that is being considered for renovations, such as for meeting spaces or places for teaching or training. But Farve said that the renovations were being approached with the idea that, if the district ever decided to turn Broken Arrow back into an elementary school, it could easily do so.

Farve said the building gives the program the opportunity to create a special space. He said he would love to have elders hanging around during the day so the students could have the opportunity to interact on different levels.

“Whether they’re talking about sewing or just how things used to be or just having that extra parental or grandparent influence into their lives, there’s lots of opportunities,” Farve said. “This just takes time to establish all of that and do it in a good way.”

In addition to the NASS programs, Broken Arrow also features dedicated space for Lawrence Virtual School students, providing them with a space to complete testing.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The building previously known as Broken Arrow Elementary School currently houses Native American Student Services.