Rochester Students Say ‘Farewell’ To Longtime School

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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) -  Friday will be the final day of classes at Rochester Harriet Bishop Elementary School - the final day of the current school year and the final day period.

The former neighborhood school that has seen thousands of kids pass through its doors will be demolished later this month to make way for a new building.

Bishop students picked from each class took part in a “Break the Bricks” ceremony outside the school Tuesday as a way to say farewell. They were given mini hammers, safety glasses, and a replica hard hat and then each one tapped a pre-loosened brick until it fell.

The new school will be almost twice as large as the existing building and located on a different section of the site in the Country Club Manor neighborhood.  Its enrollment capacity is projected to be around 700, an increase of 250 from the current school.

The new school is expected to be ready for its students in the fall of next year. Bishop students will attend classes at the new Overland School during the 2021/2022 year.

That means many of them will have the unique opportunity to attend brand new schools in back-to-back years.

News update:  Two men were arrested after causing a scene at a Rochester convenience store.