The year was 1982. The Baby Boomers were growing up which left the post-WW2 suburb of Tonawanda, NY with more schools then students. The smaller K-2 schools built quickly for the boomer kids had already started to close (I was supposed to attend Horace Mann school but it closed the spring before I started- it was converted and expanded to become senior apartments).

From the years 1974-1982 the district closed 12 elementary schools (Via Wikipedia):

Dewitt Clinton Elementary School (McConkey Dr. Town of Tonawanda) close 1974 now New Covenant Tabernacle
Horace Mann Elementary School (Westchester Blvd. Town of Tonawanda) closed 1976 now Westchester Park Apartments for Seniors
Robert Frost Elementary School (Ensgminger Rd., Town of Tonawanda) closed 1977 now Town of Tonawanda Senior Citizens Center (writer comment-this was a K-2 school)
Jane Addams Elementary School (Cortland Ave & Belcher Ave Town of Tonawanda ) closed 1978 demolished to build Center Court Commons 28residential homes
Betsy Ross Elementary School (Wilber Ave & Mang Ave Kenmore, NY) closed 1980 now owned by Village of Kenmore and operates as a Community Center (writer comment-this was a K-2 school)
Longfellow Elementary School (Myron Ave. Kenmore, NY) closed 1981 now operates as School District use (writer comment-this was a K-2 school)
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School (Wendel Ave & Cambridge St. Town of Tonawanda, NY) closed 1981 now a Stanley G. Falk School
Green Acres Elementary School (Yorkshire Rd. & Pryor Ave. Town of Tonawanda, NY) closed 1981 now owned by Heritage Centers
Brighton Elementary School (Eggert Rd. & Fries Rd. Town of Tonawanda, NY) closed 1978 and demolished to build Brighton Senior Square Apartments
Philip Sheridan Elementary School (Elmwood Ave. Town of Tonawanda) closed 1982 main building converted to other School District use
Sheridan Parkside Elementary School (Sheridan Parkside Drive, Town of Tonawanda) closed 1982 now owned by Town of Tonawanda and operates as a Community Center
George Washington Elementary School (Delaware Ave. & Delaware Rd. Kenmore) closed 1982 now owned by Ellicott Development and coverted to loft type apartments

 

OK, where was I? Oh, that’s right, talking about Philip Sheridan Elementary School. There weren’t as many of us Gen X kids around as there were the Boomer Kids. That meant more schools needed to close. 1981 saw the closure of Green Acres and Abraham Lincoln schools. 1982 it became Sheridan Parkside, George Washington and Philip Sheridan’s turn to close. Philip Sheridan had opened in the late 1940s (hi post-war baby boom) for a cost of $1.2 million dollars (that would be over $12 million today) and district voters recently approved the sale of the building for $1 million.

What all this meant was the events of the 1981-1982 school year became very important for those of us at Philip Sheridan. The final event was flag day on June 14, 1982