There was a celebratory feel in the air as students at Preston High School were welcomed back to class Monday after spring break.

There were balloons, bubbles and cheers from students and faculty following the $8.5 million deal that will keep the school open for the next 25 years in the Throgs Neck community.

The school announced a new agreement last week. It is a 25-year lease between the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, which owned the school since the 1940s, and the Bally's Foundation, which is bidding for a casino nearby and purchased the property.

"We couldn't let it go and we fought for it. Anything worth having is worth fighting for," said Lisa Hession, of the Class of 1981.