GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — Grand Ledge Public Schools is transforming the former Wacousta Elementary building into a community hub that will house expanded programs and partnerships to better serve the area.
- The Wacousta Co-op Preschool will double its capacity to address the area's child care shortage
- Grand Ledge Library will return to Wacousta with expanded services after closing in 2018
- District archery and robotics programs will relocate to the repurposed building
The district closed the old Wacousta Elementary after opening a new facility last school year. Now, Superintendent Bill Barnes said the location presents unique opportunities for community collaboration.
WATCH: Grand Ledge Public Schools plans community partnerships at former Wacousta Elementary
"Because of Wacousta's location, it doesn't always have access to some of the same resources our in town schools have," Barnes said.
The reimagined space will integrate community resources including the Grand Ledge Library and Wacousta Co-op Preschool, along with district programs like archery and robotics.
"It became pretty obvious that we had some neat opportunities for not only community partnerships but also to grow some of our own programs," Barnes said.
The Wacousta Co-op Preschool will significantly expand its capacity in the new location. Executive Director Rachael Therrian said the move will allow them to double enrollment and add programming.
"Honestly it's an amazing opportunity, we're super lucky," Therrian said.
Therrian says the preschool has experienced substantial growth over the past three to four years and has had to turn away children due to space limitations.
"Our area is what's called a child care desert so there are significantly more children who need a place to go that are under kindergarten age then we have space available, for us to be able to double our capacity is huge for our area," Therrian said.
The Grand Ledge Public Library will also return to Wacousta after closing its previous location in 2018. Library Director Lise Mitchell said the new space represents a major upgrade.
"We're very excited to bring back library services to the Wacousta area," Mitchell said. "Having this kind of space is certainly night and day from what we used to have in Wacousta."
Barnes said the district is currently finalizing lease agreements and hopes to have the archery and robotics programs operating in the space next season.
"This is really putting an emphasis that we can really make a difference in all the communities that we serve," Barnes said.
Other programs planned for the building include a proposed culinary arts CTE program, as well as two professional learning spaces for Grand Ledge Public Schools.
WATCH: GRAND LEDGE SUPERINTENDENT EXPLAINS PROGRAMMING
The Wacousta co-op preschool will be hosting a open house and early enrollment opportunity on Wednesday, February 25th at the Old Wacousta Building.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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