Ten Flint residents spoke publicly at the Flint Community Schools Board of Education meeting on December 17, asking the board to reconsider an approved conceptual plan for a new high school on the Flint Central campus in favor of one that prioritizes preservation of unique elements of the original structure.
Ezekiel Harris, a Flint resident who said he’s a parent of two and eventually three Flint Community Schools students, told the board that preserving as much of Central’s unique architecture as possible should be a priority.
“This is our only real chance to preserve a historic building that defines Flint’s identity,” Harris said. “Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. So many schools build new schools that all look the same. Central gives Flint something unique, something no other district can replicate. Scenario one sends a clear message to our students, your history matters, your city matters, and you are worth this investment.”
The board had previously approved a plan for a new high school at a special meeting on December 3. That plan preserved an iconic tower that is part of the original Flint Central design, but much of the other historic elements would be replaced.
“There is not a brick out of place in Flint Central, it is solid and it has been solid for many many many years,” Racine Jackson, a Flint Central graduate, told the board. “I know you’ve already decided what you plan to do, but I truly believe if you destroy this building we will regret it.”
Chad Schlosser, a Mott Park resident and parent of Flint students, pointed out that the unique elements of Flint Central are part of what connects Flint to its history, even suggesting that the district could do a capital campaign to attract more donors to support the project.
Others expressed objections to the overall process, sharing a belief that the board and district did not incorporate feedback from the public as promised.
“I’d like to question the process,” said Phyllis Sykes, a Flint Central graduate who now lives by the campus. “I attended a Central Park Neighborhood Association (meeting) where several of you were in attendance. Me, along with other neighbors, were under the impression that the process would include much more engagement from the community. The understanding was that you would get input from all three presiding neighborhoods, go back to your table, do the numbers, take into consideration what was presented and then you would present us with another final draft. I was stunned to learn that didn’t happen. You were committed to getting input from the neighborhood associations, and you did, there were many questions asked at those meetings and you told us you would get back with us. To learn that none of that happened, and in fact a decision has been made, is very troubling. We were led to believe this would be much more of a collaborative effort.”
The three neighborhoods Sykes referred to are Central Park, College Cultural, and Fairfield Village, which are all near the Central property. Presentations about the plans were made at neighborhood association meetings for all three, but residents felt that of two plans shared prior to the board approving a concept, “scenario one” was more in line with residents’ desire to preserve more elements of the original building. Joel Arnold, a Carriage Town resident, pointed out that the agenda for the December 3 special meeting was not posted online (and that no agendas or meeting minutes have been posted on the district website since April), so many people who may have attended and commented prior to the vote didn’t know it was happening.
Board Treasurer Dylan Luna, who voted with the rest of the board to approve the plan on December 3, did state in a Facebook post after that meeting that he “strongly advocated for greater historic preservation and more robust public engagement.” At the December 17 meeting, Luna attempted to revisit the issue in response to residents who commented, but seemed to catch colleagues off guard by introducing a motion to reconsider option one for the new high school during the board member comments section of the meeting. Luna makes his motion near the 3:49:00 mark of the recording of the meeting.
Trustee Melody Relerford supported the motion. Board President Joyce Ellis-McNeal, PhD, pointed out that typically the board does not consider motions during the board comments portion of the meeting and other board members also expressed frustration at the timing of the motion, near the end of a meeting that lasted more than four hours. There was also discussion over whether Luna’s motion should be considered as a new and separate motion or a reconsideration of the previously approved schematic design.
“I believe when the public talks, we should listen, it’s not going to hurt anything to consider it,” Relerford said.
Board Vice President Laura MacIntyre said she’s not opposed to schematic design option one, but called Luna’s motion a “disservice” to colleagues because of when it was proposed during the meeting. Ellis-McNeal and Trustee Terae King also expressed frustration with the surprise nature of the motion.
Ultimately, after nearly 30 minutes of an often tense back-and-forth between board members, Luna withdrew his motion and instead advocated for calling a special meeting to allow for a more inclusive public process to decide whether option one or option two is the better schematic plan for a future high school. Luna reiterated throughout the dialogue that he didn’t believe the board had done enough to listen to and incorporate community feedback, and also pointed out that the decision to approve the design was made at a special meeting that wasn’t streamed on the district’s YouTube page as all regular meetings are.
After the meeting, Luna posted a statement on his Facebook page.
“Over the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside dedicated colleagues on the Flint Board of Education under the leadership of President Joyce Ellis-McNeal,” Luna wrote. “Together, we’ve worked to improve student outcomes, strengthen governance, practice fiscal responsibility, and build more productive collaboration with one another, our community, and key stakeholders.
“While at times tense, I want to thank my colleagues for allowing me the space last night to share my concerns and perspectives on the process and design of the new high school planned for the Flint Central–Whittier campus. Although raising the issue via a motion at the end of the meeting was outside our usual order of business, I believed it was important to discuss something this consequential to our community in a public forum.
“I will continue to advocate for improvements to the process, the design, and community engagement. Thank you to the residents and public speakers who showed up, stayed late, and have advocated for years for a school design that best serves our students, honors our history, and looks toward the future.”
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