History and Identity Erased at Marathon Central High School

Community members were shocked and saddened to hear the news yesterday that the art hallway at Marathon Central High School was repainted without explanation to the community.

Decades of students had made their mark on the walls of the high school through creative expression. Murals commemorated State Championships, outstanding artists, and other joyous occasions. Even the ceiling tiles, once a project for high school art that celebrated individual creativity and achievement, have been replaced. For many alumni, this wall was a way to reminisce about their time spent in high school. For students, it is a way to reconnect with the students who came before, now their parents, aunts, uncles, and even grandparents.

A hallway admired by all who wait in line for the pancake breakfast at the Maple Festival has been reduced to a soulless, utterly ordinary wall of white paint. White paint that covered decades of achievement, erased core memories, and reduced a place that once celebrated our community to one akin to a doctor’s office.

The community has been in uproar since the reveal of the wall’s effective removal. NNToday reached out to a few community members for comment:

One concerned community member wrote, “A community school should be a reflection of the community - what we value academically, athletically, and aesthetically. The whitewashing of children’s work with NO plan shared ahead to honor or return their artwork and the decision once again to not get input from the staff, students, or the community is an outward example of unacceptable leadership practice. This is our community school. These are our students. This is our town, and our opinions do matter.”

Another remarked, “It looks like a prison rather than a school with heart and purpose.”

The continued erasure of what the Marathon Community is while inside the school buildings is a dishonor to the community that has put so much blood, sweat, and tears into creating a unique, vibrant, and uplifting learning environment. A school that used to showcase the pride of the town has been reduced to a sad cookie-cutter demonstration of lackluster education.

First athletics, music, and clubs, then academics, and now aesthetics have been completely stripped from the walls of a school that has produced proud alumni. Those once proud alumni now look on in shame as the memories and legacy they once held are quite literally painted over and erased.

NNToday also reached out to Superintendent Jamie Coppola to help explain the removal:

“I view these changes as a positive reflection of a time of growth and change for Marathon Central School District. The updates bring a renewed energy to the space while also reminding us that moving forward does not mean leaving our history behind. Marathon Central School District has a rich and meaningful past, shaped by the many students, faculty, staff, families, and community members who have been part of its story. I appreciate that as we look toward the future, we can continue to honor and celebrate the traditions, memories, and accomplishments that have made Marathon Central School District what it is today. The new construction and refreshed hallway can serve as a wonderful symbol of balance to embrace change and to look ahead while preserving and appreciating the history that provides the foundation for our future. I’m excited to see how these improvements contribute to the continued growth and spirit of Marathon Central School District.”

Rather than a sterile ‘hallway refresh,’ isn’t it time for leadership that embraces our community, students, and achievements? We need leaders who foster exciting opportunities rather than those who celebrate the reduction of our legacy to the ordinary… a blank wall.

If community members have a photo or story relating to the hallway’s murals, please feel free to submit a news tip at https://marathon.nntoday.com/submit-tip