Officials with Ann Arbor Public Schools are saying building a new Thurston Elementary next to its current location is the only feasible option.
Residents living near Thurston and the adjoining district-owned Nature Center have been telling the School Board they oppose the current plans.
The district wants the new Thurston to be built just north of the current building which would require the removal of part of the reserve. Opponents want alternative sites, but project executive Stephanie Corona says that turned out be impossible.
“Any property we found was either not large enough or big enough to accommodate an elementary school and give it the play area that was needed, or wasn’t zoned for it, or the site was contaminated.”
The idea of temporarily moving Thurston students to a different school while a new building is constructed at the same location was also nixed. The Board was told none of the other schools have enough room.
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