JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Decades of memories filled the library at Windy Hill Elementary School as former students and teachers gathered to reminisce during a sendoff celebration Friday morning.
It marks the end of an era as the school prepares to close its doors after 69 years.
Next school year, Windy Hill will merge with Southside Estates Elementary School into a new building, the first of several school consolidations planned for Duval County Schools.
The community is honoring the school’s legacy while looking toward the future.
Former students and teachers flipped through old yearbooks and class pictures, cherishing the memories of a school that holds a special place in many hearts.
Kay Odom, a former teacher who spent 35 years at Windy Hill, reflected on her time there.
“I really loved it here. That’s why I stayed. And so my daughter went here as well, and she is now 50 years old. So she went here back in the day. So I was looking through trying to find her name, and I have so many friends here, so it’s just bittersweet that we have to close it down,” Odom said.
Alumni also gathered to pay their respects to their beloved school, including Jill Brown, who attended in the 1980s.
“Riding my bike to school and just full days and just knowing everyone in the community and feeling safe with that, and knowing that my sisters went here and my brother went here, and my dad went here, and family friends went here, and knowing all the teachers in the community, it’s just great memories,” Brown said.
Principal Lecreshia Harris had mixed emotions as she welcomed the crowd.
“I’m sad deep inside because our building is closing and I will not be able to see the staff and the students and these wonderful parents and community members any longer,” Harris said.
Although Windy Hill Elementary is closing, the building will serve as temporary classroom space for students from Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary for the next two years. After that, it will become a special education center.
Harris will not transition to Southside Estates when the new building opens in August, but she is working to ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved.
“Many of our teachers are going over with the students, so that’s going to be wonderful for us, and it gives me peace knowing that they are going to transition on to another amazing leader,” Harris said.
While new memories will be created in the future, the community will always hold onto the cherished memories of Windy Hill Elementary.
“It’s great seeing a lot of familiar faces. Of course, we’re all older, but it was wonderful seeing everyone. Everyone’s excited, and it’s just, like I said, bittersweet,” Odom said.
The celebration will continue at the school Saturday morning, starting at 10 a.m. There will be music, games, and food trucks, and attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
In addition to the consolidation of Windy Hill and Southside Estates, several other consolidations will occur for the 2025-2026 school year:
- Annie R. Morgan Elementary into Biltmore Elementary
- Kings Trail Elementary into Beauclerc Elementary
- Susie E. Tolbert Elementary into Smart Pope Livingston Elementary
- R.V. Daniels Elementary School into R.L. Brown
