“We’ve been saying, oh my gosh, what could we do, what can we do and the options are endless,” said Allison O’Keefe, president of Old Mission Peninsula Education Foundation.
A school once slated for closure is getting a new life with the Old Mission Peninsula Education Foundation finalizing their purchase of the building.
Traverse City Area Public Schools were going to close Old Mission Peninsula School because of budget issues but the foundation offered to buy the school for $1.1 million.
They raised the money and now they’ll create their own school in that building.
Foundation members say they are excited to bring Old Mission Peninsula School home, and Thursday night they shared the future plans they have.
“We had an interview for our phase one application with Grand Valley State University and we were passed on to phase two and we had a meeting down at Grand Valley State University and they are recommending our charter for approval at their Board of Trustees meeting,” said O’Keefe.
The foundation should find out if they are approved on July 14 but they are still submitting other applications.
“The charter really will provide us that leeway to move forward with what exactly this community needs,” said O’Keefe.
They have a $2 million goal and they have already started planning and fundraising to reach it.
“It’s going to go to purchasing curriculum, hiring teachers, and training teachers; by the way pens, pencils, paper,” said O’Keefe.
Parents are also excited about the future of the school and what this means, for what they believe, is the center of the community.
“Anything to help keep young families that want to stay out on Old Mission, keep more employees out here, really helps all of the businesses out here; as well as just an overall sense of community and why we all moved out here in the first place,” said Kristy McClellan, a parent of Old Mission Peninsula School.
“People in this community really want a lot for this school and when you’re given the opportunity to create something on your own, exactly what fits, I mean that’s just been incredible,” said O’Keefe.
The 2018 to 2019 school year will be the first year the foundation takes over.
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