Several music instructors from Ann Arbor have expressed their concerns to the board regarding several soon-to-be renovated schools in the district that lack auditoriums in their design plans.
Ann Arbor Public Schools is rebuilding Dicken, Lawton, Mitchell, and Thurston Elementary Schools to have performance spaces with pop-up stages.
Voice teacher at Ann Arbor’s Eberwhite Elementary Jeffrey Willets says this planned setup isn’t adequate for performances. He says pop-up stages aren’t meant to be permanent fixtures and that students need proper auditoriums.
“In the interest of the future of Ann Arbor students, we need to advocate that these be reversed and change the specs of the architect’s plan and turn them into real auditoriums for elementary students.”
Willets says he, along with other teachers, will continue to urge the school board to reexamine their stage plans and consider building auditoriums that will last for generations to come.
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