JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It is the last goodbyes for an icon at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville.
The more than 400-year-old massive live oak tree at the center of the school's campus will be coming down over the Christmas break.
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School officials said arborists did extensive studies and found the tree has a fatal disease and is decaying, making it not safe for students to be under.
The tree became a memorial for Dale Regan, a longtime educator and head of the school who was shot and killed in 2012 by a teacher who had just been fire. The community raised $300,000 and put a 12,700-square-foot deck around the tree's base.
On Friday, the student body and teachers held a ceremony to honor the ancient oak. Officials said it was an emotional day.
The school will also hold a ceremony for alumni over the weekend to say goodbye to the tree.
A new oak tree will be its replacement.