Lake Orion Schools hopes to keep the doors of the Moose Tree Nature Preserve building open through next year, by eliminating programs there for secondary education students.
Executive Director of Business Services Jillynn Keppler, filling in for absent Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dave Beiter at the May 24 school board meeting, said they are still waiting to hear back from Oakland County Parks, regarding a proposal for a partnership to keep Moose Tree open.
‘We met with nature center employees and discussed ideas for grants and revenue enhancers,? she said. ‘The grant ideas really weren’t panning out…and the other ideas wouldn’t get us to the $60,000.?
That amount is what it costs the district to keep the nature preserve building, located next to Webber Elementary on Clarkston Road, open each year. Closing the center and turning the building into a site for early childcare was part of the schools? budget reduction proposal.
Keppler said OC Parks Director Dan Stencil is still interested in Moose Tree, as it’s adjacent to the county-owned Orion Oaks Park.
‘We discussed if they might want to lease or buy (the building) in the future,? she said. ‘But we don’t know what their financial situation is.?
Keppler said the Orion Township Board has also discussed the center at one of their recent meetings, and asked to be kept informed and included in future discussions, as Parks and Recreation was also interested in possibly using the site.
‘But these are all things that are in the future,? Keppler concluded. ‘They certainly won’t occur by next year.?
Keppler said the earlier proposal for early childcare would not work at the site.
‘In order to do that, you’d have to eliminate all the things that make it a nature center,? she said. ‘Perhaps we should scale it down for a year.?
The district could reduce the cost of keeping the center open by $30,000, by eliminating the nature center programs offered for secondary education students, and just keeping the elementary-age programs going.
‘But we would still need someone to feed the animals…and you need permits to keep stuff there,? Keppler said.
School Board Vice President Bob Gritzinger said he wanted to give the district time to research grants and to continue working with OC Parks.
‘If the township and county parks are interested, we want to pursue that,? he said. ‘We just don’t need to pursue that quite as fast.?
President Leeann Bartley said the board would still have options even if they decided to stay open for now.
‘If we do get in a bind, we could cut back in January,? she said.
Gritzinger favored trying to maintain the center as it currently is, and continuing the discussions. Trustee Janet Wolverton said she would be all right with eliminating the high school and middle school programs.
‘As long as something is (still) going on (at the center),? she said. ‘To give them time to research grants.?
Keppler said the trips made to the center by secondary education kids were minimal compared to the elementary schools.
‘The secondary people are comfortable with that,? she said.
‘We’ll pick up the slack,? agreed Lake Orion High School Principal Todd Dunckley.