(ABC 6 News) — Students, staff, family and alumni of Pinewood Elementary gathered Wednesday for a farewell party for the school which will be closing at the end of school year.

Students and staff at Pinewood Elementary will be moving and sharing a building with Longfellow Elementary this fall.

“We’re Moving and we’re gonna move to the Longfellow building and be apart of, we’ll be in that school, but we’re sill going to be the Pinewood community,” Heidi Howe, Pinewood Elementary principal, said.

Rochester Public Schools said school closures, staff cuts and major reductions in school programs were a direct result of the failed referendum last November.

RPS said it needs the money from the new referendum to keep functioning – saying inflation has gone up over the past twenty years and education funding from the state has not kept up.

Current Pinewood students said they have had a great time at the school and are sad to see it close.

“It’s not very fun because I know some people would have a blast at Pinewood,” Evan Timm, Pinewood Elementary fifth grader, said.

But Students and staff are now looking ahead to see what the future holds for the Pinewood community.

“We’re gonna be there together, and we’re gonna be doing this new thing together, and I think that’s healthy.”