KEEGO HARBOR, MI (WXYZ) — Keego Harbor is a small half-mile by half-mile town coined 'The Heart of the Lakes.'
Longtime resident Marilyn Svlauto says her community has always been the underdogs to the west as the community picks up where West Bloomfield leaders dropped off.
"Years ago the playground was in disrepair. About 15 years ago. And a call went out and the whole community with tools and tool belts," Svlauto recalls.
The tire and wooden structures are still standing, but the 100-plus-year-old building it's connected to sits empty.
A ceiling collapsed in the building permanently closing what was once an elementary school. Now Svlauto fears the district is also planning to close the only remaining public school in the area.
"It breaks my heart,” Svlauto said.
Kirsten Sonneville-Douglas who has a 4th-grade son at Roosevelt tells 7 Action News that the West Bloomfield school district is holding a special election next month to ask the community to vote on a $148 million millage. As it stands, zero dollars are going toward repairing the old Roosevelt building.
According to the district $9 million will be invested into the Roosevelt school, but Kristen claims, “it’s for making it into an administration building.”
Dr. Dania Bazzi wouldn’t confirm any long-term plans for Roosevelt at Abbot, but has said kids will return to the building for one more year.
“No decision beyond that has been made,” Bazzi said.
One of the factors Dr. Bazzi says plays into that decision is enrollment. Roosevelt lost more than 130 students in just 5 years.
"As we know, in Michigan funding is tied to enrollment,” Bazzi said.
The issue of enrollment is burdening districts across the country with small, rural, and disenfranchised communities hit the hardest.
Kirsten says replacing her son's 10-minute walk to school with a 45-minute bus ride is disparaging.
“That’s not acceptable in my eye,” she said.
