Darryl Holsendolph, class of '81, sometimes wonders what happened to Miami Central Senior High.

When he walked the school's hallways, Central produced some of the brightest minds in Miami-Dade County. Many went on to college. Some won prestigious awards.

But the school Holsendolph was once so proud of fell into a steady decline -- so much so, that the state Department of Education is now threatening to close it.

Central's teachers, its principal, even its students are battling for its survival.

But the effort to make lasting change extends beyond the iron gates surrounding the campus. The North Central community that surrounds the iconic West Little River school has also joined in the fight.

Leading the troops are Holsendolph and two of his closest friends, Kent Pollock and D.C. Clark.

Holsendolph, 46, heads Central's community oversight team, a group of volunteers working with the school district to improve the climate.

Pollock, a father of eight, is president of Central's Parent Teacher Student Association.

And Clark, a 1974 graduate, is working to rally a half-century's worth of proud alumni through the Miami Central Rockets Alumni Association.

Together, the three men -- and their respective organizations -- are on a mission to restore "Rocket pride" with the current generation of Central students and the greater community.

Among their projects so far: making sure that all college-bound students get a free laptop computer, selling Central Rockets gear to raise money for student activities, and planning end-of-the-year events for students, faculty members and alumni.

The three men say they are inspired by the changes put into motion by new Principal Doug Rodriguez, who came to Central in December after the former principal fell ill.

"Mr. Rodriguez is one of the first principals who has come to Central with a true vision, " said Pollock, 50. "But he can't do it alone."

"That's where we come in, " Clark said.

EARLY SUCCESS

Ask any alumnus: Miami Central Senior High School was once the gem of the North Central Miami-Dade community.

When the school opened in 1959, it appealed to gifted students interested in science and engineering. Central drew top students for nearly two decades, alumni say.

"We had one or two Silver Knight winners each year, " said Holsendolph, who was himself a runner-up for the prestigious awards, bestowed on South Florida's top high school seniors for the past 50 years.

Clark, 52, the alumni association president, has vivid memories of the walk to school from his childhood house on Northwest 87th Street.

"Every day, on my way to school, at least five elders would say, 'Son, how are you doing? We know you're playing good football, but are you keeping your grades up?'

"I had the idea that I wasn't just doing this for me or my parents. I was doing it for my block. I was doing it for my community."

But in the decades that followed, specialized magnet programs lured talented students away from neighborhood schools like Central.

The demographics of the area changed, too. The 1980s brought an influx of immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean to West Little River. The average household income dipped significantly.

Like other urban high schools in Miami, Central experienced a steady decline. The building fell into disrepair. And gang violence became part of the culture.

"Miami Central had become the dumping ground for unwanted transfer students, " Clark said. "Students with criminal records from as far away as Homestead were coming here."