District News

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) — After a month of gathering community input, Grand Rapids Public Schools has made a change to the Reimagine GRPS with Us! Facilities Recommendations originally released in mid-November.

The original recommendation called for a newly renovated elementary school at the site of the current North Park Montessori School. After hearing feedback from GRPS families and community members, it has become clear that the North Park site may not be the ideal location for the new neighborhood elementary school.

The updated recommendation calls for a new or significantly renovated neighborhood elementary school on the Northeast side, but GRPS leaders will take more time to assess GRPS properties and review community feedback to determine where that school should be located.

“We’ve said from the beginning that we would listen to the voice of the community before moving any of this work forward and that’s what gave us pause about this component of our original recommendation,” GRPS Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby said. “We are committed to ensuring our schools are situated in a way that allows the best access for our scholars to receive the high-quality education they deserve.”

The proposed plan remains that the new school would become home to some Palmer and Aberdeen Elementary scholars once their buildings close in 2027.

All other recommendations that were in the original proposed plan remain.

The Grand Rapids Board of Education is expected to vote on the proposal at the regular board meeting on Monday, December 18.