Almost gone, but not forgotten

Demolition of the former Liberty-Benton elementary/middle school is underway. L.J. Irving Demolition, from Napoleon, Ohio, is heading the demolition. Although it'll soon be torn down, pieces of the decades-old building have been preserved in some way, according to a release from Superintendent Bruce Otley on the school's website. 1. A portion of the 1959 gymnasium floor has been preserved and proudly displayed in the current high school gymnasium. 2. The original dedication plaque to the 1921 and 1976 buildings have been preserved. The 1921 plaque is mounted next to the new preK-8 dedication plaque. 3. The program for the new building dedication that contained a summary of the district has been preserved in a time capsule, located behind the preK-8 dedication plaque. 4. The original badging, "Liberty TWP Centralized School 1921," has been removed to be incorporated somewhere into the new campus at a future date. A new elementary/middle school building, located next to the high school, opened last summer ahead of the 2024-25 school year. The $45.6 million school was constructed in partnership with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. Construction took about two years. Bricks from the old building will be available to take after Feb. 12, according to the school website. At that time, they can be found in the front parking lot of the 1921 building, on Route 12.