Isle of Wight County Schools is offering those who’ve passed through the doors of Hardy Elementary through the decades the opportunity to literally leave their mark on the 1960s-era school’s replacement.

The new school, modeled after Florence Bowser Elementary in Suffolk, is under construction and slated to open in 2023. The school’s lobby is to include what school officials have termed a “legacy wall” of engraved bricks.

Community members who purchase a brick for $50 will have up to 36 characters — two 18-character lines of text — to leave a dedication message to future generations.

“We’ve had quite a few people to enter the doors of Hardy Elementary as students,” said School Board Chairwoman Denise Tynes, herself a product of Isle of Wight’s school system.

School officials announced plans for the legacy wall at the School Board’s July 14 meeting, stating they hope to sell at least 500. The proceeds from the sales will go toward purchasing books for the new school’s library.

A committee of school officials chose Riverside Brick and Supply as their preferred vendor for the project, noting that Riverside’s proposal included matching the wall’s design to the color and style of the bricks that will form the school’s exterior.