Preserving Our History While Building Our Future

Over the past few days, I have heard from many people who are saddened by the changes to the art hallway at Marathon Junior Senior High School. I want you to know that I have heard you, and I understand why this has been difficult for so many people.

For generations of Marathon students, those walls were much more than walls. They held decades of student creativity, championships, accomplishments, memories, and traditions. Some of the artwork had been there since the 1970s. For alumni, walking through that hallway could bring back memories of being a student here, of friends, teachers, activities, and an important part of their lives.  I recognize that when something with that much history changes, it can feel like a piece of that history has been taken away. I am sorry that this has been painful for members of our school community.

I also want to share what happened and, importantly, what we can do from here.  The changes to the hallway were part of the District's capital project, which was proposed and approved by Marathon voters before I became Superintendent. The construction included electrical upgrades and changes to walls and doorways. As that work took place, several of the murals were affected. Because the murals were painted directly onto the walls, they could not simply be removed and preserved in their original form.  Before the hallway was repainted, I made sure the murals were photographed and documented. Those photographs have been retained by the District because I believe it is important that this part of Marathon's history not be lost.

The decorated ceiling tiles were also removed as part of the construction. Because of the electrical work and requirements of the new construction, the old tiles could not simply be returned to the hallway. I want to be very clear about something that I know matters to people: the tiles were not thrown away. They were saved and are currently being stored.

Looking back, I understand that many people were surprised and upset by these changes. While the capital project itself was publicly discussed and approved, the specific impact that the construction would have on the murals and artwork was not communicated clearly enough to our community.  I take that lesson seriously.  When changes affect something that carries this much meaning for our students, alumni, families, and community, we need to do a better job of communicating what is going to happen and giving people an opportunity to understand and process those changes.

Going forward, I want to make sure that Marathon's history remains accessible to everyone.  The photographs of the murals will be made available through the District website and will also be displayed electronically on the screens in the hallway. If you graduated from Marathon decades ago and want to see the artwork that you remember, I want you to be able to do that. If a former student wants to share a memory connected to one of the murals, I hope these photographs will help keep those stories alive.

We also plan to make the ceiling tiles available to the people who originally created them whenever possible. There is something deeply meaningful about being able to reconnect a former student with a piece of artwork they created many years ago. We are also looking at ways to make other artwork and tiles currently being stored available to their original creators.

At the same time, one of the goals discussed during the planning of both the high school and elementary school projects was creating new opportunities for students to make and display artwork throughout our buildings. We want students to have spaces where their creativity can be celebrated while using removable surfaces that can be preserved, moved, displayed elsewhere, or eventually taken home by the students who created them.

That gives us an opportunity to do something better going forward and to continue adding to Marathon's story without losing sight of the stories that came before us.  The goal was never to erase Marathon's history.  This is why the class pictures are still on the walls.  Some were temporarily taken down to avoid being damaged by the construction, but they will go back up soon. 

But I understand that intentions do not change how something feels. When people walk into a familiar hallway and suddenly see walls that look different from the ones they remember, it can be emotional. Those walls represented more than artwork. They represented people, accomplishments, friendships, teachers, traditions, and memories.

Our schools belong to generations of students, families, teachers, staff members, alumni, and community members. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their memories and feelings with me and with the District. Even when those conversations are difficult, they remind us of something important: Marathon Central School means a great deal to people, including those who graduated many years ago.

As Superintendent, I believe our responsibility is not simply to maintain and improve our buildings. It is also to respect the history, traditions, and memories that make these schools special.

We are building for the future, and we should be proud to do that.

But building for the future should never mean forgetting where we came from.

Thank you for caring enough about Marathon to speak up, to share your memories, and to remind us of the importance of preserving the stories that have helped make this school community what it is today.

Sincerely,

Jamie Coppola
Superintendent of Schools
Marathon Central School District


Click here to see a photo gallery of the mural artwork.