Finally, on October 12, 1931, construction was completed and Chadsey High School began operation.

[1] The date of occupancy - Columbus Day - inspired nicknames; for the athletic teams: the Explorers; the school newspaper: The Navigator; the school annual: The Compass, and Discovery: Chadsey's literary magazine.

Fittingly, the school colors chosen for Chadsey High were those under which Columbus sailed: the vermilion and gold of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella.

The district's $285-million deficit for 2009-2010 led to the layoff of nearly 1,900 teachers and administrators; the financial difficulties also forced the closing of 29 educational facilities, including Charles E. Chadsey High School.

Local artisans are being allowed to pick through the rubble for pieces of 1920s limestone for a community garden.