MIFFLIN TOWNSHIP — The parking lot was filled Saturday morning at Mifflin Elementary School, but no one was in class.
Hundreds of community members strolled through the hallways, noted reference points, and shared their memories created in a building with a 77-year history.
The Open House provided a final chance to say goodbye to a structure that opened in 1949, and has served Madison Local Schools ever since.
One of the most interesting aspects of the event was the display of a time capsule buried in 1999, to mark the school’s 50th anniversary. But uncovering it turned it to a bit of an ordeal.
Madison’s operations supervisor John Neron said the district “had an idea” of where the capsule was buried, but finding it was a different matter.
“I think what happened was they covered it with (a cement marker), but over the years that got moved, and the capsule under it, didn’t,” Neron said with a chuckle.
“On Wednesday, we brought in the Mifflin Fire Department and they started moving dirt. It took about 90 minutes, but we finally found it in the flower bed.”
Inside the capsule (which was a makeshift red bucket) were a couple of USA Today issues, a bedsheet with students’ signatures, a Cleveland Indians program and tickets, and floppy disks for computer usage, among other items.
“Now everyone just has this (a cellphone),” Supt. Rob Peterson said. “So Mr. Stump (principal Nathan Stump) was explaining to the kids what some of those things were.”
The building is being closed as the district consolidates buildings in a cost-cutting measure.
Peterson said after classes are completed next month, officials will go through the building to salvage equipment, furniture, technology, anything that can still be of use in the district.
In the fall, perhaps October or November, the building will be put up for auction, according to state regulations. However, the district has the right to reject a bid if it’s not satisfied with the sale price.
That’s the scenario that happened at the former Madison Junior High School lot. It has since gone up for sale.
(Photos by Larry Phillips)
