Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/29/2011.
Excerpt: It started 95 years ago, in a grand limestone edifice filled with light and fresh air. It will end in a nondescript hallway in a windowless former middle school, likely soon to be demolished itself.
Though the battle over Pittsburgh Schenley High School was fought three years ago, the school will sputter to its end this week. There will be no more DeJuan Blairs bringing the Spartans a state basketball championship, no more Andy Warhols prowling its art classes, no more Ray Browns playing in the orchestra.
What remains are the roughly 190 kids who stuck it out -- forsaking pep rallies, after-school clubs and even a decent lunch hour -- to give Schenley a proper goodbye.
"They fought to stay together and now we're at the end," said principal Sophia Facaros. "The physical space has changed, but what the heart of Schenley is has never changed."
The Pittsburgh school board voted to close Schenley in 2008, after receiving estimates of between $42 million and $87 million to renovate the building, including fixing issues with asbestos and falling plaster. The 5-4 decision didn't go down easy with Schenley supporters, who tried rallies, protests and petitions to keep the school open.
The building has been vacant since the end of the 2008 school year. While there has been interest from several prospective buyers, all eventually decided not to purchase the building.
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