Saturday they held another rally to keep the facility open, and they offered up harsh words for the state agency that's slowly shutting the doors.

"We are going to fight today in what we believe in!" shouted one supporter.

Supporters hope to keep the Fircrest School open, despite the Department of Social and Health Service's ongoing efforts to slowly move people out to other similar facilities.

A total of 700 workers take care of 255 clients, most with severe mental retardation.

DSHS believes it makes better financial sense to move clients, and sell off the 87 acre campus.

"What's happening here recently is they are herding them out, moving them out like cattle, against their will, against their parents' or guardian's will," said Claude Burfect, an employee at Fircrest.

The friends of Fircrest are appealing the move to the state Supreme Court, claiming a lower court improperly approved the school's closure.

The workers fear DSHS is doing an end around, by slowly moving clients out while the court case drags on. Once the client total drops below 200 then the state legislature has more power to close the school.

"The staff are in flux," said Adrienne Fraley-Monillas, a counselor at Fircrest. "They don't know if they should go, they don't know if they should stay. They have their own strong feelings toward the clients."

Phil Talmadge, a former Washington Supreme Court Justice and current candidate for governor, is appalled by the state's actions and will lobby on the school's behalf.

"This is the coldest, cruelest action on the part of a state agency I've ever seen in 25 years of public life," he said.

On May 13, the commissioner of the Washington State Supreme Court will decide if the court will hear the appeal that could keep the school open.