The Flint (Mich.) school board has narrowly rejected a proposal to close the Flint Junior High School building.
Mlive.com reports that the closure was proposed after the district learned that the building needs $4 million in repairs.
If the district moves to take on these repairs, the expense will drain the district’s entire infrastructure fund, leaving nothing for all other school buildings. The district also would have to cut into $1.2 million of its general fund.
Superintendent Anita Steward had proposed moving the junior high students to the district’s Holmes building.
Flint Junior High School opened in 2019 at the site of former Northwestern High School. The building had closed for a year after budget constraints led the district to close the high school.
Johnson Controls, the district’s HVAC company, presented the scope of repairs needed to the junior high school building at a June 9 board meeting. Many repairs were labeled “critical,” meaning if the system failed, the facility would no longer be fit to be occupied.
The district has $560,000 available for repairs from an energy efficiency bond. This means the district would need to commit $3.5 million to the building if it plans for students to use the building, executive director of finance Carrie Sekelsky has said.
Changes and renovations to multiple Flint buildings were not completed in summer 2019 as expected. The summer was shortened because of the district’s adoption of a balanced calendar, which meant school started earlier with week-long intersessions throughout the year.
