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Flint Board of Education votes unanimously to seek competitive bid on demolition of former school

Featured photo: the former Washington Elementary School

Written by Tanya Terry,

with photos by Tanya Terry

After the board heard pleas from the Flint Police Department, Flint Fire Department, a representative from the mayor’s office and multiple concerned community members, the Flint Board of Education voted unanimously to seek a competitive bid on the demolition of the former Washington Elementary School. The building sits on the east side of the city.

Flint Community Schools closed Washington down years ago to help address declining school enrollment and the district’s budget. Not only did Washington eventually become of the school district’s 20 vacant properties, but it has been set on fire on multiple occasions.

In 2022, the Flint Police responded to 96 calls for service at vacant and abandoned buildings in the city of Flint, according to Detective Tyrone Booth, intelligence bureau/public information officer with the City of Flint Police Department. Booth added in 2023, the Flint Police have already responded to seven calls at these types of properties. He said the calls have been for drug usage, prostitution, malicious destruction of property and several other matters.

“Many of these activities occur because the buildings are not property secured,” Booth stated.

The former Washington Elementary School

He also pointed out people have been taken into the buildings or wander into the buildings for play and end up getting hurt on debris or other things inside the buildings. He asked the board to do what it takes to help secure the buildings properly so calls to them don’t take away from the police department being able to focus on other matters they also need to focus on.

Because of the number of arsons that have occurred at various school buildings, Flint Interim Fire Chief Theron Wiggins also asked that something be done with the buildings.

“When we go out with the fire department we are putting our men at risk for schools that are open and dilapidated,” said Wiggins.

Flint Police Chief Terence Green suggested putting gates around the buildings or cement blocks that would not allow vehicles to enter the properties until the vacant buildings would be possibly demolished. He also recommended to the school board having the gates locked and giving the police and fire departments the keys so they could be responsible for entering when needed.

Superintendent of Flint Community Schools, Kevelin Jones, said at the most recent Committee of the Whole Meeting, the Washington School property was probably the most dangerous and worst looking property the district owns.

Superintendent of Flint Community Schools, Kevelin Jones

Flint Resident Joe Arnold said he lives right across from the former Central Building

“While there are indeed vacant schools in other parts of our city, including right across the street from my own house, none are in the condition that we see Washington in, really a burned down pile of rubble at this point,” said Arnold. “So, removing it would stand as a really tangible example of what I know is the board’s commitment to neighborhood stabilization.”

Jones stated at the meeting the first thing the board would have to do if they decided to was put the demolition out for competitive bidding. After that he said the board could set up meetings with the City of Flint, who was present at the meeting, as well as the Genesee County Land Bank, to see if they would support funds for demolition purposes.

At the request of Board President Michael Clack, Jones said he would check into whether the board could require 20-30% of the work required for the demolition to be done by African-American businesses.

Board Treasurer Dylan Luna’s suggestion to form a committee to look at a lot of the district’s properties was met with nods of approval from other board members.

Another concern brought up at the meeting was lack of teachers and overcrowded classrooms.

“We have to prioritize what we can do,” said Luna. “But we can address issues such as dangerous buildings our students walk by and taking care of our teachers. They’re not mutually exclusive.”

 

 

 

 

 

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