Redfield Middle Celebrates Final Basketball Game Before Closing
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: January 11, 2013
An Arkansas middle school being forced to close celebrated it's final basketball game Friday evening.
Playing with some of her best friends, Allison Adams was a on scoring streak in the first quarter, playing harder than ever.
"Coach was telling us to do our best it's our last game and all these people showed up," she said.
Like the players on the court, the people of Redfield have been working as a team, trying to save their school from closing.
"There was the hope that it wouldn't and it was sad when it did," says parent Victoria Livingston.
White Hall school board voted to close Redfield Middle School on Tuesday, to save money and avoid putting more financial pressure on the district. Families banded together trying to save the school and even though they lost that battle, they proved they're still living up to their name, the Fighting Lions.
When the school board voted to close the school, parents say the small town lost a school and gained a few new worries.
"You got a small town where everyone knows everybody, someone sees my kid walking down the street doing something bad they can call me and say 'hey come get your kid.' You're not going to get this in a bigger school like that," says Brittney Ward, a parent and booster club president.
"We all know each other, if someone gets picked on we stand up for each other," says basketball player Ansleigh Odom, who says she' nervous about attending a much bigger school.
For years, basketball has been the only sport in town. For their final game inside the Lions den, the players fought to show everyone what they'll be missing.
"I wanted to make everyone proud playing, people came from White Hall and Pine Bluff and I wanted to show them what Redfield was about," Adams says.
Members of the "Save Redfield Middle School Task Force" are not giving up, they're heading to the Department of Education Monday to see if they can do anything to keep the school open.
As of now, it's closing at the end of the school year and students will head to White Hall Middle school.
Playing with some of her best friends, Allison Adams was a on scoring streak in the first quarter, playing harder than ever.
"Coach was telling us to do our best it's our last game and all these people showed up," she said.
Like the players on the court, the people of Redfield have been working as a team, trying to save their school from closing.
"There was the hope that it wouldn't and it was sad when it did," says parent Victoria Livingston.
White Hall school board voted to close Redfield Middle School on Tuesday, to save money and avoid putting more financial pressure on the district. Families banded together trying to save the school and even though they lost that battle, they proved they're still living up to their name, the Fighting Lions.
When the school board voted to close the school, parents say the small town lost a school and gained a few new worries.
"You got a small town where everyone knows everybody, someone sees my kid walking down the street doing something bad they can call me and say 'hey come get your kid.' You're not going to get this in a bigger school like that," says Brittney Ward, a parent and booster club president.
"We all know each other, if someone gets picked on we stand up for each other," says basketball player Ansleigh Odom, who says she' nervous about attending a much bigger school.
For years, basketball has been the only sport in town. For their final game inside the Lions den, the players fought to show everyone what they'll be missing.
"I wanted to make everyone proud playing, people came from White Hall and Pine Bluff and I wanted to show them what Redfield was about," Adams says.
Members of the "Save Redfield Middle School Task Force" are not giving up, they're heading to the Department of Education Monday to see if they can do anything to keep the school open.
As of now, it's closing at the end of the school year and students will head to White Hall Middle school.
