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Rylee Barnsdale's Feature Article: Community center coming to site of former Ypsi Township school
Transcription:
Rylee Barnsdale: You're listening to 89 one WEMU. I'm Rylee Barnsdale, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. Washtenaw County officials recently finalized the purchase of the 26-acre plot of land the former Cheney Elementary School sat on with the intent to build a state-of-the-art community and recreation center in the school's place, leading some community members wondering how this new initiative will uphold the legacy of Willow Run Schools, as well as the school's namesake. Joining me today is Jeanice Townsend, trustee for Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education, to give us an idea of how this initiative came together and YCS's involvement in the development plans. Hi, Jeanice! Thanks so much for being here.
Jeanice Townsend: Good morning! Thank you for having me!
Rylee Barnsdale: So, Cheney Elementary has been closed since around 2012. And this is around the same time the merger of the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts took place. Why wait so long to sell the building to repurpose it, or, I guess in this case, demolish it? Was it just a matter of finding the right project to go in this space? Or were there other things going on behind the scenes that kind of led us to where we are now?
Jeanice Townsend: Well, there were other things that were going on behind the scenes simply because when Willow Run and Ypsilanti Public Schools merged, we were still shackled with the debt from two districts now in a new district. And so, that shifted a lot of priorities, in regards to making sure that the district was still financially sustainable, making sure we're able to play employees and staff. And so, it was just a priority to make sure those basic things to provide education to the students in Ypsilanti was more prevalent at that time. Also, yes, I would say it was also was a matter of making sure we find the right project or purpose for that location, because a lot of the schools in the Willow Run district were also demolished. So, for instance, where I live in my neighborhood, the Kettering Building was demolished. We had Thurston that was demolished. So, again, the district had to prioritize what things were significant in order for them to make sure that they were still providing quality education to students.
Rylee Barnsdale: Was there any maybe hesitation on YCS's part to sell the building and the land it sat on to build something new? Would it have been possible to reopen Cheney to use as an academic building or an elementary school again or was it maybe a little bit past its time as an academic building?
Jeanice Townsend: I think if funding was there at the time, anything is necessarily possible. But again, what people don't understand with this debt that was lingering over YCS, $2 million of our budget each year was used to pay towards the debt. Yes, you're paying towards a debt, but you also now have interest. So, in some situations, the district also had to then turn around and borrow just to make some of the payments. So, again, it was kind of like an economic slavery type situation, like you're never going to get out of this hole.
Rylee Barnsdale: Right.
Jeanice Townsend: And so, again, in order for you to really advance and make sure that you're making wise decisions and being good stewards over the district's finances, we had to address this issue. And it took several years for us to even get to this point. We just celebrated YCS as a district for ten years just last year. And so again, the purpose first was, if we're going to really look at this situation and address it for what it is, you got to go to the root of the problem. And the root of the problem was the debt. And so, once we were able to work with our local and federal leaders and was able to secure the will for the governor and the body to say, "Okay, we're going to remove this debt," then we were able to make moves that make sense for the district. And one of the major issues on that side of town was Willow Run with the merger. I grew up in the Ypsilanti Public School District. They felt shafted or felt like they got the short end of the stick for this this whole deal. And so, the school board and the administration was very intentional about making sure that we made the right choices for that district. So, we just did a ton of stuff with Holmes elementary and Ford Elementary. We received funding to become magnet schools. We're investing more. We moved the middle school back into the Willow Run complex. And so, of course, one of the major things that the community was asking for was we need something on this side of town for our kids. There's a lot of things that are going on, and that our kids don't have much to do after school. And so, they wanted to push for a community center. And so, I think between the conversations with the county and the district, this was just seemed like the right fit for it. And it was just a matter of figuring out the pieces to make the project work.
Rylee Barnsdale: It obviously sounds like community support was really behind the idea of a community center in this particular location. Were there any other ideas that were considered from the community to as to what to use this land for?
Jeanice Townsend: No. I mean, the primary idea that I'm aware of is for that it to be used for a community center. I know that there was talks for a community center to be placed in another location in Ypsilanti, and that did not happen. And so, ideally, the next location that people wanted to consider was this building. I think, of course, with Cheney being where it was, there were members that did say it's always been something where the members wanted to say, "We want something positive here, either afterschool programming or a community center." So, as far as I'm aware, there hasn't been any other idea of it being anything else but what it is going to be now.
Rylee Barnsdale: And you mentioned how, obviously, the priority of the school district is on the students and providing that quality education for them. How does a community center kind of fit into those goals and those ideas of ensuring that these that these students have this really quality education, and the families have quality of life as well, along with their quality education?
Jeanice Townsend: Well, I think in any community where education is a priority, community centers are always part of that. When I grew up on the south side of Ypsilanti, there was Parkridge Community Center. There's always something there to provide additional support to family and the school district and afterschool programming, classes about parenting. Whatever it is, a community center is always in the midst of that. And I just think, in order for our families and our students to be successful, it is good to have a community center in the midst of that community, especially in areas where you know that there has been some concerns about students not having enough to do or families having a place where they can call a support haven. And so, I'm currently the program coordinator for Parkridge Community Center. And I see, just on the south side of Ypsilanti, community centers are very important in any community that you have. And I just think this is just a prime example of what "stronger together" really looks like, where you have community and your leaders coming together, making a decision that's going to suit the community and do what's best for.
Rylee Barnsdale: This is WEMU's On the Ground Ypsi. I'm Rylee Barnsdale chatting with YCS Board of Education trustee Jeanice Townsend. So, Jeanice, I know that YCS has had a pretty big hand in making this sale go forward and had a lot to say as far as making sure what went into this spot was a community center. Is there potential for, within this initiative, for YCS to continue partnering with the center once it's completed and provide educational opportunities or other programming specifically geared toward the YCS family of students?
Jeanice Townsend: I would say anything is possible. What I will say is we just had our first meeting post-sale. The county is including the district in those conversations about the project. I'm pretty sure there will be additional conversations at some point as far as programming. That would be the hope and the intention. And so far, the county has been diligent in making sure that we are part of the conversation. Again, because at the end of the day, we service the entire Ypsilanti community. And if you don't include your district, then that means that that's not the priority. But I think, so far, they are doing an excellent job and just keeping us abreast of the project. And as a board member, I'm sure there will be conversations at some point about programming.
Rylee Barnsdale: And like so much of Willow Run, Cheney Elementary has this very rich history. The school was built back in 1970. It was named after the first African American teacher in the Willow Run school district, Johney Cheney. Do you feel like a community center is something that upholds--or is a good way to uphold--the legacy of such an impactful educator for this area and for this district?
Jeanice Townsend: Yes. Miss Johnny Cheney was very prevalent in the Willow Run community as far as education. And it would only be fitting for this place to continue her legacy and providing quality programming and education to our students. So, I think, again, this is a prime example of what "stronger together" looks like. And it would be my hope that they continue to push her legacy through because she was very important to that side of town.
Rylee Barnsdale: And I know right now, the community center project is tentatively named the Eastern Washtenaw Community and Recreation Center. But what would it mean for the YCS and the Willow Run community to maybe even retain the name and call it the Cheney Community and Recreation Center? What does that mean for the Willow Run community, if that is the direction things end up going?
Jeanice Townsend: That would mean that the county values what its community is saying that they want. It also continues the legacy on that side of town. I think people sometimes forget, if you don't know where you came from, you don't know where you're going. And Johney Cheney was very important to that side of the town. And it would only be fitting if you had a building still named after her because, again, the purpose is not to erase history, it's to maintain it and to make sure that this generation that we have now understands the value of its history and its culture. And Willow Run is what it is. My father's from Willow Run. So, again, he's very prideful about that history. And I think it's just only important that students that live in that community know the value in maintaining that name of Johney Cheney.
Rylee Barnsdale: Well, thank you so much for being here with us today, Jeanice! Thank you for giving us a little bit of an inside scoop of what this project is looking like. I know the construction's probably going to take a little while, as construction projects usually do, but I'm sure folks are really excited to see this project come together.
Jeanice Townsend: Yes, thank you for having me! And again, I just encourage people to be patient because it's a big project! And again, I'm very confident that the county is going to keep the community informed. And it's very exciting for this side of town to have this structure come up. And I can't wait to see all of the positive, community-based resources that come out of it!
Rylee Barnsdale: For more information on today's topic and links to the full article, visit our website at wemu.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Rylee Barnsdale, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU FM Ypsilanti.
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