'Nobody Cares About Cairo': Residents of Shrinking River Town Fight To Bring It Back
For Cairo, Ill., a former river port and manufacturing hub, economic troubles began with the decline in river trade. Now two more public housing buildings are scheduled to close.
On the last day of school in the rural town of Cairo, on the southernmost tip of Illinois, the fire truck ran its hoses so kids could cool off in the sweltering heat. The staff barbecued burgers and hot dogs.
It was a light-hearted anecdote to what had been another tough year.
After a precipitous decline since 2012, enrollment dropped by another 100 or so students. This year there were only 26 seniors in the graduating class.
"It's been a lot of up and down, a lot of uncertainty," says Hope Green, who's worked at the school since 1998, most recently as its truancy coordinator.
The district cut 14 teaching positions, though every effort was made to keep local Cairo residents like Green on staff.
