Valleywood Middle School Rebuild, Ice Arena Upgrades and Performing Arts Expansion Planned for Kentwood District

Kentwood — A new Valleywood Middle School, a restored Kentwood Ice Arena and a new performing arts center at the East Kentwood Freshman Campus are major projects planned if voters approve a $125 million bond request on Tuesday, May 5.

Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston has unveiled an ambitious bond proposal that would transform facilities across the district if approved by Kent County voters on May 5. The bond would fund a new 750-student Valleywood Middle School, restore the district-owned Kentwood Ice Arena, and add a second performing arts center at East Kentwood High School alongside a new Career Tech Education and STEM Center.

What the Bond Would Fund

The $125 million bond request would result in a 0.5 mill increase in property taxes. For a typical Kentwood home valued at $321,000, that translates to an increase of $6.68 per month in property taxes.

Passage of the bond would restore the district's debt rate to 4.5 mills, which it was in 2011, and maintain it as the second-lowest rate among school districts in Kent County.

"We designed this program in response to our community growth and values around school facilities. The beauty of that is their voices and their imprint is all over it," said Superintendent Kevin Polston. "It's a process we've done with the community."

The district determined the slate of projects following multiple rounds of stakeholder input last fall. Those opportunities came after the opening of Hamilton Elementary and Early Childhood Center, the district's 11th elementary school and an extensive elementary redistricting process.

"The top question that came up in that process was, 'What are you going to do about middle school?'" Polston said.

Valleywood Middle School: Reimagining a 60-Year-Old Building

A new Valleywood Middle School would replace the existing 1967 building at its current location, 1110 50th SE. The new building would have capacity for 750 students, up from the 552 enrolled this year.

The decision to build new rather than renovate was made after a facilities study found that Valleywood would need $30 million in infrastructure investment to ensure it met good or excellent standards.

Inside the current Valleywood building, 20 classrooms don't have any natural light. The building features lots of interior classrooms, narrow hallways and lower ceilings that don't align with what research suggests a facility needs to support student learning.

"Valleywood not only has a high need for infrastructure enhancements, but also has 20 classrooms that don't have any natural light — lots of interior classrooms, narrow hallways, lower ceilings. Just the feeling in the building doesn't align with what research suggests a facility needs to support student learning," said Polston.

When the district combined the issue of a 60-year-old building, aging infrastructure and the fact that their two other middle schools have received significant upgrades in recent times, the question became: do we remodel or reimagine?

"Over 95 percent of respondents said, 'It's time to reimagine — this is more than just a remodel,'" Polston said.

If the bond is approved, construction would begin on the middle school in 2028, with the building opening in 2030.

The new building would feature modern learning environments, abundant natural light and a safe, accessible and efficient building layout.

Kentwood Ice Arena Restoration: Preserving the Only District-Owned Ice Area in West Michigan

Students and families indicated through an extracurricular survey and focus groups that they value the Kentwood Ice Arena, Polston said. Home to the Falcons' ice hockey team and many community programs, it is the only ice area in West Michigan owned and operated by a school district.

The bond would fund:

• New roof coating
• A new mechanical room and equipment for code compliance
• A complete electrical system upgrade
• A new rink refrigeration system
• Exterior doors and enhanced security by adding cameras and card-reader access

Second Performing Arts Center at East Kentwood High School

Students also indicated that the Kentwood Fine Arts Auditorium at East Kentwood High School does not adequately serve all groups that would like to use it. There's also inadequate space for instrument storage, Polston said.

"For a district of 10,000 students to have one fine arts space, it just wasn't meeting our needs," Polston said.

A second performing arts center, added to the Freshman Campus, would bring a second fine arts center to the East Kentwood campus. It would have a capacity for 600 seats and would be used district-wide.

Other improvements would include renovations to the high school performing arts center, including auditorium upgrades and full renovation to classrooms.

Expanded STEM and Career Tech Education

The bond would also fund a Career Tech Education/STEM Center at the Freshman Campus to add expanded space for career readiness programs.

Other District-Wide Improvements

Other projects included in the bond proposal:

• Accessible playgrounds at Bowen, Brookwood, Discovery, Endeavor, Explorer and Meadowlawn elementaries
• District-wide safety improvements such as safety and security upgrades throughout buildings
• Technology enhancements, upgrades and devices
• Modernized furniture and additional new buses

District Growth Driving the Need

The nearly 10,000-student district has increased by 800 students over the past 10 years. Polston said he expects growth to continue as Kentwood has become known as a destination district and more than 1,000 units of new housing are planned for construction in the district.

The bond proposal will be on the ballot Tuesday, May 5, when Michigan voters head to the polls for the state's upcoming election.