GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Board of Education will vote Monday to determine if a new school will be built to replace Aberdeen Academy and Palmer Elementary.
If approved, this would be the first new school built in northeast Grand Rapids since 1965.
This comes after officials announced in November 2023 that the district would be consolidated into 10 buildings due to many buildings not being used to their full extent.
Originally, students from both Aberdeen Academy and Palmer Elementary were going to relocate to a new space in North Park. Parents said North Park was too far, and that the Aberdeen location would be a better fit.
Over the past month, hundreds of parents and staff have shared feedback on the addition of the new building.
The new school would open in 2027 and be built behind Aberdeen Academy. Aberdeen would then be demolished after construction is complete.
Officials said parents shared concerns about demolishing the building instead of renovating it. It was found that renovating Aberdeen Academy, which is 95 years old, would cost about $32 million. The brand-new school would cost $35 million.
It would be funded by the bond voters passed in November 2023.
GRPS said it will prioritize a green space for the school and give it a new name, as students from both Aberdeen Academy and Palmer Elementary will eventually be attending it.
More information on the school's consolidation plan can be found here.
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