Daily News Post for March 22

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Written by: Kathleen Lavey

East Lansing schools committee narrows options

Panel to present proposals on updates, renovations, reconfigurations to board

EAST LANSING - A committee charged with looking at East Lansing's elementary schools and middle school is narrowing the options it will take to the school board next month.

Possibilities include:
• Asking voters as soon as November to extend a 7-mill bond that is about to expire. That would generate money to update and renovate buildings.
• Changing the current grade configuration to make fifth grade the top elementary grade and put sixth-graders into the middle school. That could be accomplished by renovating or replacing the now-closed swimming pool area.
• Renovating some elementary buildings with updated technology and more space, and closing or repurposing others.
"There are a lot of different opinions. Nothing is settled," said Eric Schertzing, who co-chairs the committee with Amanda Bright-McClanahan.

Six elementaries

East Lansing has six elementary schools, including Red Cedar, Pinecrest, Marble, and Donley, which serve kindergarten through fourth-graders; and Whitehills and Glencairn, which serve fifth- and sixth-graders.
Seventh- and eighth-graders attend MacDonald Middle School and ninth- through 12th-graders are at the high school.
One of the issues that looms large for the committee: All of East Lansing's elementary schools are smaller buildings that date to the 1950s and 1960s.
"They're beginning to get to the end of their useful life," Schertzing said. Low ceilings mean there is no place to run extra electric or broadband lines for computers and other technology; the schools don't have basements or crawl spaces.
Schertzing said East Lansing could come out of the process with a plan for fewer elementary schools.

Closings common

That has been common across mid-Michigan as school budgets have tightened over the past 10 years. Okemos and Grand Ledge closed buildings last year; Waverly will consolidate from four to three elementary schools.
Lansing also has closed buildings and expects to close more.
The committee will meet again March 24, then host a community forum in early April before presenting its recommendations to the school board.
Superintendent David Chapin said he thinks the committee is on track.
"The wheels are in motion," he said. "I think they're being very thoughtful."