The last days of school at the former Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary were a flutter of activity as students rushed to complete end-of-the-year tasks and a few untraditional chores.

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

Junior high students haul classroom items from the second floor on Friday, May 21.

Serving as the junior high this year while the 5-8 grade building in Sanborn underwent renovations, the former elementary school in Hartley said goodbye to students for the final time on Monday, May 24. Before that, however, students helped move classroom furniture, band instruments and other items from the top floor to the first floor on May 21.

Custodial and maintenance staff supervised the move. Many of the items will be sold at an auction later this summer, while other classroom material will be moved to the renovated Sanborn building prior to the start of the 2021-22 school year.

With the new PK-4 building open and the upgraded junior high nearing its ribbon cutting, the halls at the former elementary school on First Street Southeast have gone silent. The facility's ultimate fate is unknown, but H-M-S students will never utilize the sprawling building again.