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West Frankfort Elementary holds its last full day of school before closing its doors

By PAT BAILEY

Story Created: Jun 21, 2011 at 1:16 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 21, 2011 at 6:15 PM EDT

FRANKFORT, N.Y. (WKTV) - Tuesday marks the end of an era for one elementary school in Frankfort, as it prepares to shut its doors for good come the Fall.

Tuesday is the last full day of classes at West Frankfort Elementary School. After a full day Tuesday and two more half days, the building will close up and everyone will move to another school, after 49 years.

Principal Frank Saraceno has been at West Frankfort Elementary for 23 years, and says he has hired every current teacher there with the exception of one.

Saraceno says the first time he entered this building, he knew he would be hired. Since that time, he has helped build the school into a family-type atmosphere, including planting trees and building a pond on the school grounds.

However, what Saraceno is most proud of is what he will miss the most when this school closes its doors later this week - the uniqueness of the building and its staff.

"My staff and I work so well together, we accept each other, we are a family," Saraceno said. "We are here more than we are at our own home during the week. So we have made it an atmosphere where it is warm and friendly and it is like home. That is the most unique thing about this school."

Principal Saraceno says he does not know what is going to happen to the building; that the only people who do are the ones who will make that decision - the Frankfort-Schuyler School Board.

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