6  |  SCHOOL PLANT MANAGER MAGAZINE  |  FALL 2026
blinds, construction schedules, or the 
next item on my list.
I was simply looking at the building.
The original section of that school was 
built in the early 1900s. It survived a 
fire, was rebuilt, and still stands today. 
Looking beyond the paint, flooring, 
and finishes, I found myself thinking 
about the history held within those 
walls.
How many children had walked through 
those front doors for the very first time?
How many parents stood on those front 
steps trying not to cry as they watched 
their little one disappear down the 
hallway?
How many teachers stayed late preparing 
lessons?
How many lifelong friendships began 
there?
How many futures were shaped inside 
those classrooms?
How much laughter echoed through those 
hallways over the last hundred years?
Standing there, I realized something.
For many families, those buildings will 
always hold a special place in their hearts. 
And they should.
A school is never just brick and mortar. 
It becomes part of a family’s story, 
a neighborhood’s identity, and a 
community’s history.
But I also realized something else.
The memories didn’t stay with the 
building.
From the President, continued
They never had.
The building had simply been the place 
where they were made.
The memories belonged to the people.
They left with the students.
They left with the teachers.
They left with the principals, secretaries, 
custodians, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, 
maintenance employees, parents, and 
everyone else who helped make that 
school what it was.
They simply moved to a new address.
That realization changed my perspective.
Instead of focusing on what was 
changing, I found myself thinking about 
what was about to begin.

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.