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Closing of Lordstown GM Plant impacts local students

The recent closing of the Lordstown GM plant isn’t just impacting the workers, it’s taking a toll on their children as well.

The recent closing of the Lordstown GM plant isn’t just impacting the workers, it’s taking a toll on their children as well.

“It’s tough for them,” Lordstown Superintendent Terry Armstrong said. He went on to say that the district has already seen a drop in enrollment, losing between 10-15 students already.

“When third shift and second shift shutdown, we started to see an impact of people relocating.”

He says the amount of kids relocating may be on the rise following Wednesday’s complete shutdown of the plant.

“We came up with about 50-75 students (children of GM workers) who will be impacted by this directly,” Armstrong said.

Lordstown High School senior Collin Himes, a kid who has lived in Lordstown his whole life, is finishing out the school year, despite his father’s transfer to Tennessee.

“He knew that he had to move away and it was pretty heartbreaking for us,” said Himes about his father’s suddenly departure.

Colin recently signed to play soccer at Hiram, and says it was tough without his dad by his side on signing day.

“For my signing with soccer, homecoming and prom. All these memories coming up, it was definitely pretty upsetting that he couldn’t be here,” Himes said.

The school has offered their support in this time of need.

“We started a community pantry that not just GM workers but anybody in our community can take advantage of. We have food and clothing,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong says the district and community is still holding onto hope.

“We hope Lordstown, GM plans to allocate a car here in the future. We see these kids everyday. They can make the new cars that will be coming in the next decade and we want to see those cars made here by our kids that are in schools now.”

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