Closing of Harvey Schools

The closing of two Harvey, IL schools, Sandburg and Lowell Longfellow, is indeed sad news for the those living in the immediate area of each building. These schools have been around a long period of time, many generations of various families having passed through the doors of Sandburg and Longfellow.

The closing of each is much more than ending the chapter of an educational institution. It demonstrates the movement of people, it reflects a loss of jobs in the region, and the shuttering of each is a symbol that the community continues to suffer. There are fewer factories, less tax revenue, vacant and abandoned buildings, and all the harm that can arise out of such conditions.

The closure of these schools represents not just a shrinking of the district but stands as a symbol of decay, decay that people have to cope with and live in each and every day.

To those who say the people, the schools, and the community-at-large need to 'pick themselves up by the bootstraps' please note that the loss of schools, factories, stores and community organizations are the very 'boot straps' needed. They'd probably grabs those 'straps' if they were available.

Dick