Pontiac schools exploring partnership with county for use of closed school

Pontiac Colleges and Oakland County are investigating a distinct partnership with a former major faculty constructing within the district.

The proposal is for Oakland County Parks and Recreation to kind a partnership with the district for co-locking parks and recreation applications, the PAL program of the Sheriff’s Division and different public outreach providers, reminiscent of Job Coaching Companies, within the former Frost Elementary Faculty constructing.

The board voted 6-0 to proceed exploring the partnership with parks and recreation. Secretary Shaquana Davis-Smith was absent.

Jon Noyes, Principal Park Planner for Oakland County Parks and Recreation, answered questions from the board to the proposal throughout their assembly of twenty-two September.

“We come this up with an open thoughts and an open coronary heart and watch utterly discovering a strategy to make this a hit,” stated Noyes. “Our hope is to activate this facility as shortly as potential and to maintain taking a look at a protracted -term plan.”

District leaders are on board.

“We may help create a transformational presence for the encircling neighborhood,” stated chief inspector Kimberly Leverette concerning the proposed partnership.

Park managers visited the Frost constructing and held two conferences with district representatives. The 2 events talk about points of the proposal, reminiscent of figuring out the allocation of upkeep and utility prices and potential renovation prices for the constructing.

Noyes stated that provincial attorneys are engaged on compiling a memorandum of understanding the spelling of the small print of which each events can be accountable within the brief time period, however the parks and recreation board have accredited the thought to proceed with the partnership.

“That (the memorandum of understanding) is one thing that may come as quickly as we agree and it’s accredited by the board,” stated chairman of the board Anisha Hannah. “As quickly as we agree, every of the entities will provoke what the small print of this partnership might be.”

“That is simply approval for a partnership, not for the usage of the constructing,” be Trustee Kevin Gross earlier than the temper. “We are going to then examine what we now have to do to place all the pieces collectively to enter a mou (memorandum or understanding) to start out this program.”

Frost Elementary housed the Peace Academy, which provides pre -school and earlier than/after faculty care applications, which moved to the Whitmer constructing after Frost was closed in June as a part of the restructuring plan of the District.

The district and the province at present have a partnership that has led to a deliberate enlargement for Pontiac Oaks County Park, previously Hawthorne Park. It consists of the acquisition of land via a subsidy that’s funded by Geese Limitless.

With the addition of the previous Hawthorne Elementary faculty website and the newly acquired actual property on the lake on Walton Boulevard, the prevailing 77-hectare park might be expanded to 113 hectares.

In 2024, Oakland County Parks based the playground on the park, added new play tools, utterly renovated and reopened bogs and changed a deteriorating dock with an accessible fish pier.