By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Nine days after a fire forced the closure of Otsego’s Dix Street Elementary, students were scheduled to return to the classroom Wednesday, Sept. 30.
It just wasn’t at Dix Street.
Otsego Public Schools is temporarily relocating the entire Dix Street student body and staff to the former Pine Trails Elementary building in Allegan, allowing the school community to remain together while restoration work continues at Dix Street.
And that arrangement could last for months.
The Pine Trails building—which OPS is affectionately calling “Dix Street West Elementary”—has been prepared for students following several days of work involving the two school districts, neighboring districts, community members, businesses and other organizations.
OPS announced Monday, Sept. 28, that the building is ready for Wednesday’s return and that donations have provided enough school supplies to meet students’ initial needs.
The move follows a Sept. 21 fire that caused heavy damage to the Dix Street library/media center. Staff members who were in the building at the time safely evacuated, and the school has remained closed since.
Superintendent Christie Robinson announced the Pine Trails decision in a message to OPS families Wednesday, Sept. 23.
In selecting a temporary location, Robinson said the district considered such factors as maintaining consistent educational opportunities, availability of student services, transportation, food service, playground equipment, mental and behavioral health services and safety and security.
The ability to keep the entire Dix Street community together was particularly important.
OPS Director of Communications Emma Gannon said Pine Trails offered that opportunity while also being well suited for students.
“The building was also the most prepared for our students—not only was there existing furniture, but there is also playground equipment,” Gannon said. “Being a school itself, it is also well secured to meet our safety needs.”
Its proximity to Otsego also helped.
“Being just 10 minutes down the road, it is as convenient as possible for transportation purposes as well,” Gannon said.
Two districts come together
While OPS considered several possible locations, the idea of using Pine Trails surfaced from multiple sources, including parents.
At the same time, Robinson and Allegan Public Schools Superintendent James Antoine were thinking along the same lines.
“After learning about the fire, Superintendent Robinson and I almost immediately came to the same conclusion and hope—that Pine Trails could be used to help get Otsego through this crisis,” Antoine said. “What started as a quick text conversation quickly turned into a conversation about the details and what would need to happen to make it work.”
One potentially significant complication was already in progress.
Allegan Public Schools has a purchase agreement with Milbocker & Sons Construction for the Pine Trails building and property. Although APS remains the owner, the districts needed the company’s cooperation before moving ahead.
Antoine said that cooperation came quickly.
“I learned very quickly that Milbocker & Sons was completely on board with collectively helping our neighbor,” he said. “That made the process much easier and allowed us to focus on what needed to be done to get the building ready.”
The sale’s closing will now likely be delayed, Antoine said.
Pine Trails had only been vacant since June following the opening of Allegan’s new elementary school. Even so, getting it ready to once again serve as an operating school involved considerably more than unlocking the doors.
The building underwent a thorough cleaning, while technology—including projectors and phones—had to be installed.
Some furniture remained at Pine Trails, but not enough to equip all the classrooms.
Furniture was ultimately donated by Allegan, Paw Paw, Fennville and Plainwell school districts, while members of the Grand Valley State University wrestling team helped move heavy furniture and prepare spaces. Crews also added fresh mulch to the upper- and lower-elementary playground areas.
There were also less-visible details to address.
Antoine said the districts had to make sure Pine Trails was current on health department and fire inspections, while the Michigan Department of Education needed to be involved because each school is identified by a specific building code.
Insurance providers, legal representatives, inspectors and others have also been involved.
“Those are things that most people would not necessarily think about when they see an empty school building and wonder why it can’t simply be opened,” Antoine said. “There has been a tremendous amount of cooperation and work by both districts to make this possible.”
Once students return, OPS will handle the day-to-day operation of the building. Allegan will remain available as a resource because of its familiarity with Pine Trails and its systems.
And Antoine said APS is prepared to continue the arrangement for however long OPS needs it.
“We are willing to work with Otsego for as long as it takes for Dix Street to be restored,” he said. “At this point, I do not believe Otsego has been provided with a clear timeline for the restoration. For now, we know that it will be months, and we will continue to work with them throughout that process.”
Students return Wednesday
Dix Street students have not been given remote assignments during the closure.
Gannon said OPS instead wanted students to have an opportunity to process what had happened while adults worked on the transition. The Dix Street PTO planned activities during the closure to give students opportunities to spend time with their friends.
“Students’ primary job at this time is to just be kids,” Gannon said. “As the grown-ups work hard to figure out what comes next, we know that this type of change can be stressful for our students.”
Wednesday will feature a delayed start at 10:10 a.m., with dismissal at 3:50 p.m.
Beginning Thursday, Oct. 1, the regular “Dix Street West” school day will run from 8:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Transportation will also look slightly different.
Morning routes will remain the same, Gannon said, although some students could ride a different bus in the afternoon. Families that previously did not use district transportation but now need it because of the move are being assigned to routes.
Meals, special education, before- and after-school programming and other student services are expected to continue without changes at Pine Trails.
The first days, Robinson told families, will be similar to the beginning of a new school year as students and staff establish routines and adjust to unfamiliar surroundings.
Additional counselors and social workers will be available to students during the transition.
OPS that donations from businesses, organizations and individuals have met the school’s initial supply needs, meaning parents will not need to purchase replacement school supplies for Wednesday’s return. Those contributing included Meijer, Perrigo, Parker Hannifin, Arbor Credit Union, Honor Credit Union, Home Ministries and Harvest 10:2.
Additional community donations are now being directed to the Dix Street Elementary PTO Relief Fund to help with future educational materials, classroom needs and student activities.
Work continues at Dix Street
While students establish a new routine in Allegan, work continues at the Dix Street building.
Robinson has said the media center sustained heavy damage. Restoration experts are conducting hygiene analyses along with deep cleaning and deodorizing before the building can eventually be reoccupied.
The district has not yet announced a timetable for that to happen.
Parents and staff have also been told not to enter Dix Street to retrieve belongings until the building has been fully assessed and the district can coordinate that process.
OPS said it continues to assess smoke and water damage and will inform families if additional individual needs emerge.
For Antoine, however, one of the lasting stories from the fire has already emerged—the response of one school community when another suddenly needed help.
“I have been asked what went into the decision to allow Otsego to use Pine Trails, and the easy answer is that it really wasn’t much of a decision,” he said. “Otsego has hundreds of students who need a place to continue their education, and we had an empty school building. That meant that we were immediately ready to jump in and help them through this crisis.”
Antoine said APS frequently talks to its students about being helpful and kind and creating a sense of community and belonging.
“This was an opportunity for us to put those beliefs into action,” he said. “When a neighboring school district has hundreds of students and staff members who suddenly need help, and we have the ability to help, I think it is important that we do so.
“Ultimately, this is about making sure the students of Otsego continue to receive the education they deserve during a very difficult time.”
