Archive: News

The Lansing School District began the community awareness phase of its proposed $20.8 million capital project in earnest Monday when school officials took their show on the road.  Superintendent Mark Lewis brought administrators and School Board Member Dan Brown to present the case for the project to the Lansing Lions Club.  Brown told the Lions of his own children's' success that he attributes to the education they got at Lansing.  "This capital project is about continuing that for the next group of students," he said. "So I am really excited about this project."

Lansing Lions Club President Linn Davidson (standing) welcomes (left to right) Superintendent Mark Lewis, High School Principal Michelle Stone, and School Board member Dan Brown (Business Administrator Larry Lawrence not pictured)

It was the first of several presentations district officials plan to make to community groups in order to answer questions about the project and encourage community support for the February 6th vote.  On Tuesday they planned to be at the PTSO meeting, and are scheduling other presentations for community groups as well as school staff and committees.

The presentations are part of a larger campaign to get accurate information out to the community, and to encourage support for the project.  Three press releases are being sent to media outlets (click here to see this week's release on our Schools page), and advertisements are being placed to encourage district residents to come out and vote.  A glossy four page brochure that explains the basics about the project was mailed last week, and a post card will be mailed closer to the February 6th vote.  Rack cards are being distributed at sporting and musical events, and large sized plans of the project will be on display.

On top of that Lewis says a wealth of information about the project has been posted on the district Web site.  A 'frequently asked questions' file will be updated on the site throughout January as community members ask questions.  "We hope that all members of the community visit the Web site on a regular basis," he says.


After an introduction by former school superintendent and long-time Lion Ray Buckley, Brown told the group why he supports the project.  "The academic requirements have changed a lot," he said.  "Therefore our needs in the high school have changed as well."

Lewis gave an outline of the project, which includes repairs and renovations to all three schools, a new district office, and an addition to Lansing High School.  Then he turned the floor over to principal Michelle Stone, who explained the program implications.  She gave a brief tour of the ground plan, explaining what changes are planned for the building's existing space, and why new rooms are planned.  

Stone also explained the rationale behind proposition 2, which includes renovations to music program space, and a new band room and technology classroom.  "There is a mandate for fine arts for one credit in high school.  Many of our students take more than that," she explained.  They're competing with students who take more than that.  If we don't keep pace, those students are losing ground.  We need to be able to provide programs that will give them the experiences that will make them viable in the next phase of their lives."


Business Administrator Larry Lawrence outlined the finances, explaining that State Aid pays for much of the project.  "It's roughly 60/40 state building aid vs. property tax," he said.  "So it's a pretty good deal."

Brown said that the school board has been considering the project for about three years.  Noting that the process has been transparent and dissenting opinions have been included in publicly available materials.  "I think we've come up with a nice middle ground in terms of what I hope the community will support," he said.  Stone agreed, "Everyone compromised."

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