For students at Shiloh Elementary, the final bell ring Friday represented much more than the beginning of summer break. It represented the last day — possibly forever — for Shiloh Elementary.

Due to a dramatic drop in enrollment, the Dallas County School Board made the decision to close Shiloh — which includes grades fourth, fifth and sixth — and consolidate students into Tipton Middle School and B.K. Craig Elementary.

With the closing, John Pilcher, school board attorney, said the board intends to sell the building and property, which is located at 6200 Dallas County Road 30 in Sardis.

“We would then offer the property for sale to the public, typically we do this by advertising or by bids,” Pilcher explained. “We also may do an auction.”

All school equipment, like desks and tables, will be stored in storage units or moved to another county school. Money received from the sale will go directly back into the general fund budget for the school board.

In accordance with school policy, the new use of the school, Pilcher said, cannot be for education purposes.

“There’s a restriction in the deed that prohibits it from being used as a public or private school,” he said. “That has been done with every other school that’s closed in Dallas County in the last 30 plus years because that would create competition between the schools. Past closed schools have been turned into community centers or churches have bought them.”

As a result of a sharp decline in students across Dallas County, Pilcher said Shiloh is not the first school to close in recent years. Population trends — especially in rural areas — have dropped significantly over the past 25 years, he said.

“It’s been an ongoing issue in parts of Dallas County for several years. As those populations have decreased, the school board has had to adjust its infrastructure and close several schools,” Pilcher said. “I’m hopeful that this closing will be the last one for a while, though.”