The Last Little School

Michael Kruse: DUETTE



Out here toward the center of the state, in the far northeast corner of Manatee County, there sits a school.



Duette Elementary is a small, white wood building with a front porch and tall windows with red trim. It's Florida's last one-teacher schoolhouse.



Thursday was the last day of school.



Maybe forever.



Duette is tiny and isolated, fence-post, wide-sky rural. The volunteer fire district, 136 square miles, has fewer than 1,000 people. There's no post office. There's the Duette Country Store, there's the Dry Prairie Baptist Church, and there's the school.



It's been here for nearly 80 years, set on 10 acres surrounded by citrus groves, strawberry…