TAYLOR, Mich. – The old saying goes, if these walls could talk, and you can bet the walls at Kennedy High School have quite the story to tell. On Friday the final chapter was written as the school held its last day of class.
“This has been my home for 15 years,” said Gina Newell.
Newell said she loved every minute of it.
“You know, kids come through and they have memories of this place and I have memories of them," Newell said.
Those memories will be just that because the high school will shut its doors for the last time.
"It’s just not a good day," Newell said. "Not a good day for us."
Local 4 spoke with Kennedy High School Principal Tommie Saylor.
"It’s been difficult," Saylor said. "Well, we knew that when we started this year. We wanted to make this year special."
They knew two years ago that this day would come. That’s because the population in Taylor declined and the two high schools felt the wrath.
"This is a community that was very heavily vested in the auto industry," said Saylor. "So, we started losing people, started losing students."
Kennedy and Truman high schools will become one school called Taylor High School. There will be a new mascot and school colors. It’s a new beginning with a tough ending.
"We understand all good things must come to an end," said Saylor.
All of the teachers at Kennedy High School will move to the new school in September. Saylor is accepting a new principal position in his home town in Western Michigan.