MERIDIAN TWP. — Bond construction work has continued throughout the summer at Okemos Public Schools, and in a few short weeks, students will welcomed to a new building.
In 2022, voters approved a $275 million tax proposal, bringing updates to different school buildings and fully replacing three different schools in the district, Chippewa Middle School and Cornell and Kinawa elementary schools.
As work has continued throughout the last few years, here’s where some major projects stand.
“We’re so appreciative of the faith of the community,” Okemos Superintendent Matt Olson told the State Journal. “These kinds of things don’t happen without tremendous support from the community. This is people with their votes and their support and their tax dollars making our kids have the best experience in the best educational environment possible.”
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Chippewa Middle School
The new Chippewa Middle School will be ready to open soon, Olson said.
“It’s always a little nerve-racking when you get this close to the finish line because there’s always things that are out of your control,” Olson said. “But we’ve got excellent construction partners … and I’m confident things are in a good space but there’s always an opportunity for any construction project for a last minute hiccup.”
People driving by will see the construction fencing taken down and the lawns installed, but there are a few finishing touches being made to get the school ready for students this fall.
“We’re on track and everything is looking good,” Olson said. “We’re getting ready to do things like install furniture and move teacher’s stuff in over the next few weeks.”
The district will be hosting a community ribbon cutting and walk through on Aug. 18 and welcome students for the first day of school on Aug. 26.
“We’re really excited about that,” he said. “That building is going to be an absolute point of pride of the district. It’s beautiful.”
Cornell Elementary School
The district broke ground on Cornell Elementary School this fall as well, getting the building ready for demolition before the new building gets ready to go up later this year.
As of right now, work is being done in the interior to prepare for the razing of the building.
“We’re opening a middle school, we’re getting ready to build and excited to open an elementary school,” Olson said. “Lots and lots of work, it’s been a busy summer.”
The school is expected to open to students in fall 2028.
He said he’s excited to bring a new school to the district, but he recognized the struggles that can come with the transition and students moving into the old Chippewa Middle School for a two-year period when the building is being constructed.
“There’s bumps and such along with any transition,” Olson said.
After construction on Cornell is completed, the district school will being working on Kinawa Elementary School, with the estimated occupancy in fall 2030.
Baseball and softball complex groundbreaking
This summer, Okemos Public Schools broke ground on its new baseball and softball complex coming near Okemos High School.
Olson said that the project won’t be complete by the start of the school year, but it’s expected to be ready by spring when the seasons start.
The work being done will include installing new turf fields, new grandstands, a new press box and updated dugouts.
Contact Karly Graham at kgraham@lsj.com. Follow her on X at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Okemos schools nearly ready to open new Chippewa Middle School
Reporting by Karly Graham, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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By Karly Graham, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
