It’s a major mistake to demolish Roosevelt Elementary I understand the worry about competing charter schools yet it's the most historically significant building in Keego Harbor. The western side of Pontiac (Seminole Hills & Franklin Blvd) are neighborhoods with great historic character next to Sylvan Lake & Keego Harbor which have been thriving over the past decade yet without much real identity. Shame to see a two square mile city tear down such a beautiful building, it has some nice pre-war era vacation home housing stock but that’s about it as far as being unique.
The western side of Crystal Lake in Pontiac has a very promising neighborhood in a city with a lot of old plain cheap housing stock. Orchard Lake and Telegraph is one of the worst designed intersections in the metro yet the area has tremendous potential, Sylvan Lake & Lake Angelus are becoming quite rich communities with spillover into the city.
The relocation of county offices from Waterford where they pay no taxes into downtown Pontiac will be a real boost to a revival that has yet to show its true potential.
I can really see the area missing Roosevelt Elementary in the next 5-10 years if it’s not saved. While I do agree that a charter school would be a detriment to the community I feel the issue is more about land than anything else property values have shot up and the city is completely built out.
I’m also not so sure the situation is so dire with West Bloomfield School District, Laker Academy was open to any Oakland County resident offering a West Bloomfield High School diploma. As such it attracted many out of county students with a family member in county, it wouldn’t surprise me that WB is getting older and there are less kids in the system but I’m not feeling this argument. More so than demographic changes which are happening I feel that since that schools have gotten better in general so there isn’t the same desperation to get kids out of crumbling districts.
Quote:
Demolition of 104-year-old Michigan elementary school at center of school choice debate
A Michigan school district is planning to demolish a historic elementary school out of fears it will be transformed into a "competing" private or charter school. The debate over the nearly 105-year-old Roosevelt Elementary School follows the West Bloomfield School District losing 10.8% of its student population over the last five years. The district is expecting to lose an additional 11.51% within the next five years, according to its website.
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https://wwmt.com/amp/news/local/demo...-the-classroom