Clare Public Schools Considering School Bond Proposal, 100-Year-Old Murals May Complicate Things

Clare Public Schools are looking into putting a school bond proposal to build a new high school on the May 2023 ballot.

“We’re in the process right now of getting community input,” said Clare Public Schools Superintendent Jim Walter. “The board’s initial foray into the bond project is thinking about building a new high school. Our current high school would become the middle school with just a little bit of transition.”

Walter said they’re in need of the change.

“This building built 100 years ago was built for young people in a different era to serve a different purpose of education,” said Walter.

However, there’s four murals located in the middle school auditorium with significant history that could complicate things.

“They are works commissioned by the federal government as part of the WPA in the Depression era,” said Walter. “Gerald Mast is the creator of the murals. They represent different parts of society during that era including agriculture, leisure activity, science and technology, and the emerging oil and gas industry.”

If the proposal passes, the school has to figure out what to do with the murals.

“We sought help on a couple of different occasions from the federal government, and really have not heard much,” said Walter. “And what we did hear wasn’t positive in terms of financial help.”

The school even sought the advice of a conservator from California on how much it would cost to remove, clean, and reapply the murals.

“That estimate was close to a half a million dollars,” he said.

There’s a possibility of fundraising, and they’ve already reached out to Senator Debbie Stabenow and Representative John Moolenar for help.

“I don’t think the [school] board has issue with some investment in the project, but certainly they’re wrestling with that overall cost,” said Walter.

While the bond proposal plans are still up in the air, so are the plans for this mural.

“Our board, our community, values the art a great deal,” Walter said. “They want to be cautious when it is artwork that we don’t own, but we do hope to keep and display in a new facility.”