Rider is holding a community event on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. of the school closing on the high school campus. 

Every time a school opens or closes, Wichita Falls ISD has a ceremony hosted on behalf of the school. 

All three high schools will be having a closing ceremony on different days in the district. Everyone is welcome to go to the ceremony no matter what high school you attended. 

“It means a lot to the city so it’s not about being a Rider Raider or a Hirschi Husky or Wichita Falls Coyote,” Rider band director Loy Studer said. 

Multiple people will be speaking during the closing, including WFISD Superintendent Dr. Donny Lee, Rider High School principal Dr. Cody Blair and ROHO Sports Network announcer Marty McBride. 

There will be chairs set up for the event for former staff and former alumni. There will be standing room for the students and staff members. 

Rider’s choir will be singing “Beautiful Savior” and the band will be playing the fight song and alma mater. Then the JRTOC will be bringing the flags in front of the school. 

The most important part about the ceremony is wanting to reconnect with everyone who will be there before the high schools split into two new ones.

“It’s just for everybody together one last time and kind of takes in the moments of what’s going on,” Studer said. “Sharing some good memories and talking and having closure like this place is important. We should make sure we honor it the right way.”