Posted by
Waski_the_Squirrel on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 1:40:25 AM
School closing season is over for the moment. It will start up again next summer. Recent victims include Wildrose/Alamo, Tuttle-Pettibone (and one would presume Robinson), Rhame, Verona, and one in the middle of the state that has slipped my memory right now.
I don't want to go into that depressing topic. Instead, I want to point out some of the interesting architecture and locations of these schools. More detailed descriptions, maps, and larger views may be found by visiting my
Flickr account. You will also be subjected to a lot of landscapes. Mostly, family and student pictures are marked private and are unavailable for general access.
Just a few short weeks ago, I did a tour of the northwest corner of the state. I was surprised by how many of the little towns up there had shuttered new buildings. (By new, I mean buildings of the 1960's.) Towns like Noonan, Lignite, and Columbus were disappointing for this reason, though Lignite's school was still open!
One interesting building was shuttered years ago in the tiny town of Tolley. Bell towers are an architectural feature that don't appear on more modern buildings.
Tolley also had a rather unique used-car lot, though only 2 cars remain on the lot.
Near Tolley there is a functioning school named Bowbells. Sadly, Bowbells is on its last legs. Only about 60 students remain K-12. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant town with a functioning Main Street. The school itself is a rather unattractive mix of additions that show the evolution of architectural style from multistory brick buildings to plain, single-story buildings. Interestingly, the gym (not shown) was condemned a few years ago because it was on the verge of collapsing. The town squeezed together the money to fix it rather than close the school. Unfortunately, the gym was far outlive the school district.
A trip of about 20 miles south on gravel took me to the town of Wildrose. I've always liked the name of this town. The town itself had a sputtering Main Street. It also happened to be the only paved street. Back a few blocks was the school. I chose my odd photographic angle to get the diamond-shaped brickwork. Also of note is the sign over the main door which says "Knowledge is Power". Sadly, this school closed a few years ago with only about 40 students, K-12.
Naturally, I couldn't visit Wildrose without also visiting Alamo. Years ago, Alamo closed and sent its students to Widlrose. As I noted, that school has not closed as well. Alamo is little more than a collection of houses, some quonsets, a bar, and a post office. Very little pavement is found in this town. However, the building shows an attention to detail that has not been seen on schools in a long time.
My most modern addition on that trip was Alexander. Until recently, it boasted one of North Dakota's better science teachers. It is a very modern, very nice building. A lot of money was spent to give those students a good school. Sadly, with enrollment well under 50 students, K-12, there was no future. This wonderful building sits empty.
I've often wondered what it feels like to go home to find your school gone and your town dying. My own hometown is growing, and I am unlikely to ever experience it. I have watched two schools where I was once employed dwindle, but, as yet, they are still holding on. This is one of those realities of life in the Dakotas. It's difficult to turn around and is a symptom of the adjustment to a changing economy and technology.
Recently, the ND Legislature held an Education Interim Committee meeting. I'll post the
minutes. In a day or two, I hope to discuss portions of that, particularly what I see as the state's views on its rural schools.