Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) trustees Monday discussed the planned upcoming reconstruction of Central High School – now estimated at $25.5 million – and the process for selecting a new board member to replace former President Scott Newman-Bale, who recently resigned.

Central High
Cost estimates for renovating Central High School have climbed from $20.2 million last summer to $25.5 million today, staff told trustees Monday. That’s in large part because of ADA and accessibility upgrades that will accommodate the most users possible, TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner said.

Trustees received a staff update on the latest design plans for the reconstruction. The board voted last summer on an approach that calls for demolishing the school’s 1958 gym, building a new competition gym with two regulation courts (bringing the school’s total to three), and creating a new dedicated wrestling room. Plans also call for constructing a new secure main entrance to provide a single campus point of entry and controlled access for after-hours events.

TCAPS Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Christine Thomas-Hill shared a rendering (pictured) of that new entrance, which will funnel all school traffic during the day into one entry point off Eastern Avenue. That will be a significant security upgrade over the multiple entrances into Central High School off both Eastern and Milliken that previously existed. Trustee Scott Hardy said TCAPS has experienced “serious challenges with this campus given the way it was originally constructed with that sort of California open-air concept.”

Thomas-Hill agreed, noting that now the main office staff will have “complete line of sight” on everyone entering the school as well as a new adjacent bus loop. The athletic office will also be located near the main entry, providing another layer of supervision. Thomas-Hill shared more drawings of gym layouts, mechanical and storage rooms, locker rooms, ADA restrooms and changing rooms, and a planned hall of fame and concessions area. A new gym mezzanine will provide elevated seating with chair arms and backs and a walkway for wheelchair viewing. An elevator big enough to hold a gurney – which has been an issue in past medical emergencies – is also planned.

The project is planned to go out to bid in January or February, with construction set to start next April at the end of the winter sports season. The schedule shows an estimated January 2029 completion date. Though the price tag has risen, Thomas-Hill noted Central Grade School ended up coming several million dollars under budget, allowing TCAPS to reallocate funds to Central High. Both projects are being covered by capital bond funds. VanWagoner said those funds are getting “tight” but pointed out that bids could come in lower than expected. TCAPS is also planning to put several design alternates into the bid package to accommodate different cost scenarios, staff said.

Board Changes
Following the recent resignation of Board President Scott Newman-Bale, Vice President Erica Moon Mohr has moved into the president’s role. On Monday, trustees voted to appoint Hardy as the new vice president, with Ty Schmidt then appointed to fill the treasurer position previously held by Hardy.

Trustees also discussed the process for filling the board seat vacated by Newman-Bale, which legally must be filled within 30 days of his departure. The board will accept applications from interested community members through Wednesday, August 19 at 5pm. Candidates must be registered voters in the TCAPS district, at least 18 years of age, U.S. citizens, residents of Michigan for at least 30 days, and residents of the TCAPS district for at least 30 days prior to appointment. Property ownership is not required. Applicants must submit a packet including a letter of interest, resume, contact information, and completed responses to the board candidate questionnaire, which is available online.

Submissions can be emailed to Tammy Brunan at brunanta@tcaps.net (attn: Erica Moon Mohr, Board President) or mailed to Erica Moon Mohr, Board President, c/o Tammy Brunan, PO Box 232, Traverse City, MI 49685. Trustees will meet on Monday, August 24 at 5pm in the TCAPS Montessori School cafeteria on Franke Road to select the next trustee. The candidate selected will serve a partial term beginning August 24 and running through December 31, 2028.

Trustees acknowledged the seat vacancy is coming in the middle of an election cycle, with four trustees – Hardy, Moon Mohr, Sara Bageris, and Beth Pack – holding seats that expire at the end of this year. Moon Mohr is not seeking reelection. Hardy, Bageris, and Pack are running again for the four open seats along with four other candidates that include Diane Arnold, Charmaine Lipscomb, Peter Mooney, and Deirdre Zuidersma.

VanWagoner said that if any candidates on the fall ballot choose to apply for Newman-Bale’s seat and are selected, they could face a situation if they also win in November in which they’d need to accept that elected four-year term and resign the rest of Newman-Bale’s two-year term. “They can’t hold both,” VanWagoner said.

Hardy said that while it may be legal for candidates to pursue both options, he wanted to “discourage anybody running” from applying for Newman-Bale’s seat. Making trustees go through the process a second time in November of filling Newman-Bale’s seat is “a disservice to the board,” he said. However, other trustees said there’s no guarantee candidates on the ballot will be elected to those seats and could choose to pursue the appointment if they desired. More information on serving on the board is available on the TCAPS website under the heading “Interested in Becoming a Board Member.”