Amidst a neighborhood where the streets are named after former and current residents is a brand-new, two-floor, $27 million building still gated and surrounded by dirt.

The new Freetown Elementary School is almost finished and will take over for the adjoining old school building in the fall. The old school closed its doors for good on Monday. This change, like all change in the predominantly African-American community, has a link to the past.

"With all the subdivisions coming in we want to keep our identity," Freetown Improvement Association President and Freetown Elementary alumnus Walter Caldwell said Friday....