GROSSE POINTE WOODS, Mich. – After months of rumors, a list of schools that could be closed in the Grosse Pointe School District has been released.
Officials haven't decided which schools will be closed, but the schools that are in the mix were revealed at a meeting Thursday in Grosse Pointe Woods.
The district previously selected parents, teachers and others to sit on a blue ribbon committee and explore options. The 58 members are expected to pass the committee's recommendations on to the board of education.
Enrollment in Grosse Pointe schools has dropped significantly and is projected to continue to drop. The district said it's losing 100 students every year, which equates to a $1 million loss.
Michele Stackpoole is a teacher and a parent in the district and she is on the committee. She said it's been an emotional and stressful few months.
The following schools are in the mix for possible closure:
- Barnes Early Childhood Center
- Kerby Elementary School
- Stevens T. Mason Elementary School
- Poupard Elementary School
- Robert Trombly Elementary School
- Lewis Maire Elementary School
- School administration building
That doesn't mean all the schools on that list will close. The basic parameters are as follows: Close one elementary school on the north side, close one or two on the south side, and reconfigure one school into an early childhood center.
The committee working on a consensus plan, and while there is no plan in place yet, they did poll members Thursday night. The results: 67 percent voted to make Kerby the early childhood education center, which means Barnes would close, while 74.5 percent said Mason should be closed over Poupard, and 59 percent said two south end elementary schools should be closed.
The final recommendation the committee makes to the school board has yet to be decided. The high schools are not in the mix. The district is facing declining enrollment and now has two firms working on projections; both came up with similar numbers showing a decline.
Watch the video above for the full report.
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