Senior’s Story on Final Year of Liberty High School with Perspective from Graduate of School’s First Class

Editor’s Note I : This story was subitted to us by the student listed below with the assitance of Hannah Edwards a social studies teacher and Student Council Advisor at the school. The school will hold graduation inside the LHS gymnasium Thursday at 7 p.m.

By Liberty High School Senior

Khynzli Randolph

Liberty High School first opened its doors in 1973. Now, after 51 years, it will close at the end of this school year. As students prepare to walk across the stage one last time, it’s hard not to think about all the memories made within these halls.

The Liberty students take great pride in their school, so the decision to close it was devastating for them. For years, it had just been a rumor, something no one thought would happen anytime soon. However, last year, the Harrison County Board of Education made the decision to close the high school to cut spending and improve the safety and learning environment for students.

Diana Randolph, a member of the first graduating class in 1973, recalled how difficult it was to be part of a new school with new people

“None of us wanted to leave our schools,” she said. “It was terrifying, and we were all anxious as I’m sure the kids now are.”

Randolph spoke about how students slowly adjusted, despite their background differences. One of the lasting traditions that began with Liberty’s first graduating class was the yearbook, The Liberté, which will be published one final time this year.

She said that the effort the faculty put in, especially their principal Mr. Wilson Currey, played a big role in helping students adapt.

“It wasn’t easy, but it got better, as it will get better for this new generation, too,” Randolph said.

The thought of transferring to a new school, especially during their senior year, was scary for many. But it is also believed by man that with the change come more opportunities.

“The change was hard, but with more students came more opportunities, more classes, and more activities,” Randolph said. “No one likes change, but sometimes it’s better in the long run.”

As one era ends, another begins. The legacy of Liberty High School will live on, not just in yearbooks and memories, but in the spirit its students carry forward. For many, Liberty was more than just a school, it was home. Friendships and memories were made. Now, students are being asked to leave behind familiar hallways, close friendships, and the comfort of what they’ve always known.

Yet, there’s hope that, in time, Robert C. Byrd High School will become a new home for today’s students, just as Liberty did for the past 50 years. While not everyone was happy about the transition, then or now, history shows that, with time, students find a way to make a new school their own.

Editor’s Note II: Top image of Liberty High School is courtesy of the Liberty High School Yearbook Staff. Second photo shows 1973 graduate Diane Randolph. Bottom image is of the author, and senior, Khynzli Randolph.

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