Dala DeWitt was decorating the first-year-student bulletin board at the Springfield Regional School of Nursing when a staff member pointed out that this would be the last time DeWitt would be decorating the board.

The thought brought tears to DeWitt’s eyes. “We’ve been experiencing many ‘lasts’ lately,” the director of the program said.

This week the school held its last new student orientation as it welcomed the last group of students to attend the 106-year-old school on the High Street campus of Springfield Regional Medical Center.

In 2012 the school will close its doors for good when the hospital moves into its new $235 million downtown campus. The hospital board announced in November it would not have a school in the new building and, early this year, voted to pass the program to Clark State Community College where the hospital and college nursing programs will be blended to become the Clark State Community College — Springfield Regional School of Nursing.

“This is the last time “Nursing 111” will be taught at this school,” DeWitt said, nodding her head toward the classroom full of new students. “In January, it will be the last time for “Nursing 113” and so on.”

Alissa Ault, 19, is one of 55 new students who is attending that last Nursing 111 class, held in the school’s former gymnasium. Ault’s mother, two aunts and a cousin are alumni of the program.

“It’s kind of cool that we’re going to be part of history,” she said, “the last class of a school that was here for so long.”

That legacy is not only in DeWitt’s thoughts, but surrounds her every time she walks into the door. Not just because of the artifacts that are carefully preserved in the alumni room, but because of her own memories.

“I graduated from here in 1973,” she said. “Seeing it close is hard.”

With nearly 50 percent of the nursing faculty at Clark State Community College graduates of the Springfield Regional School of Nursing, it’s unlikely the traditions and values of the 106-year-old school will disappear when Clark State takes over the nursing program in 2012, said DeWitt.

“I believe that if you take two successful nursing programs that have been in existence since 1904 (the School of Nursing) and 1967 (Clark State) you can develop an excellent program for Clark and the surrounding counties,” DeWitt said Friday, Aug. 27, “To me, that’s the best thing that’s coming out of this transition.”

The 150 individuals on the school’s waiting list have been blended with Clark State’s 300-plus waiting list, said Kathy Wilcox, Clark State’s health and human resources director. “We’ll be increasing the number of students we accept next fall... and then we are also looking at starting a second (program) in January 2012.”

Russell Workman, of South Charleston, said he is glad he made the cut to get into the last class.

“It’s kind of cool, but I do feel bad because I think the school is really good,” the 26-year-old first year student said. “It was a surprise to hear them say they were not going to go into the new hospital.”

DeWitt and Wilcox are confident the blended program will be a strong one but they acknowledge it will not replace the history of one of only about 50 hospital-run, diploma schools in the country — one of only four in the state.

On the other hand, the move from a private, single discipline school will save students nearly half in tuition costs. The school’s scholarship funds will continue to be awarded according to their established criteria, Wilcox said.

During the next two years, the school will experience many lasts, DeWitt said, but when it becomes part of the Clark State program “we’ll get to experience many firsts.”