Students Call To 'Save The Castle' Against Slated Demolition At Camden High School

CAMDEN, NJ (CBS) -- Students gathered in Farnham Park across the street from Camden High School for a rally to "Save the Castle." The "Castle" is a historic building on the high school campus scheduled for demolition this fall.

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After being torn down, Camden High School would be rebuilt as four different schools on the current campus.

The $132.6 million project was approved by state-appointed School Development Authority.

Community Activist Ronsha Dickerson says the school's future should be decided by the community, not the state.

"We are here today in Camden, NJ fighting to save the castle, but to also take a stand and say 'do not touch our schools!' These are our schools, these are our children, these are our babies, and Camden, NJ will rise and we are proud," she said.

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The groups rallying say the difference between renovating and rebuilding is only a few million dollars, and they want the school renovated to preserve it as part of the city's history.

They also feel cheated, as the decision to rebuild was made behind closed doors, and now a lawsuit has been filed against the state's school board to halt construction in hopes they listen to community feedback before moving forward.