Construction has begun on a new Mt. Hope School in Lansing, Michigan.
WKAR Public Media reports that the Lansing district is building the facility is being built on the site of the old Mt. Hope STEAM Magnet School a program for student in grades four to eight. That building, constructed in the 1940s, had become worn out over the years and is being demolished.
The project is the first of four to be funded from a $130 million bond voters approved last year for school capital improvements. The other three facilities are Willow Elementary, Lewton Elementary and Sheridan Road STEM Magnet.
At the project's groundbreaking, Ben Shuldiner, Lansing superintendent, said the new school will be modernized to better serve students and teachers.
"The school is going to be ADA compliant," he said. "It's going to have air conditioning. It's going to have modern technology. It's going to have all of the great things that schools and students are supposed to have."
Mayor Andy Schor called the school "an anchor in (the) neighborhood." Although the mayor has fond memories of the first building, he said the new construction would be an important investment for the community.
During the construction of the new building, Mt. Hope is being housed at the former Woodcreek school.
Construction is expected to last two years; the new building should be ready in time for the 2025-26 school year.
