Two of the biggest changes in Ann Arbor Public Schools this year are STEAM at Northside and the Pathways to Success Academic Campus. Enrollment is up at both schools and work continues on building expansion plans.
Construction work lasted almost to opening day this year to get both buildings ready, but that was only phase one.
With Northside switching from a half-full elementary school to a K-8 building with a science, technology, engineering, arts, and math focus, enrollment is anticipated to exceed 700 students in a couple of years. That's after only 185 students attended Northside last year. Superintendent JeaniceSwift says important changes are needed to handle the growth. "We'll be finishing out the top level of the building to make room for a middle school hallway up there, so our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders will be upstairs and that will be exciting, and then also adding a middle school gym. You know middle schoolers are a lot bigger than our little kids so there will be a gym that'll be appropriate to middle school sports and activities," Swift says.
Pathways to Success combines the former Roberto Clemente and A2 Tech alternative high school programs in the former elementary school at Packard and Stone School Road. Swift says phase two for this project will include a more college campus type area for students to relax and work independently.
Both projects include additional parking spaces. The over $1.3 million cost will be covered by the district's sinking fund millage.
Most of the work is expected to take place next summer.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.
