By Harold C. Ford
After nearly a calendar year, the dramatically upgraded Brownell and Holmes school buildings along Oxley Drive on the city’s north side have reopened to Flint students from pre-K to eighth grade.
Holmes STEM Middle School Academy marked the reopening with a “homecoming celebration” on Nov. 22, 2024, and Brownell STEM Academy hosted a similar celebration on Nov. 25 at which East Village Magazine (EVM) was present.
Financial support totaling $40 million was provided for the project between $26 million in Elementary and Secondary School and Emergency Relief (ESSER) dollars and $14 million from the Flint-based C. S. Mott Foundation.
During construction, Brownell and Holmes students were shuttled to available classroom spaces in other Flint Community Schools (FCS), including Southwestern Academy on the city’s south side.
According to a Nov. 13 FCS press release, Brownell-Holmes campus improvements include:
- upgraded facades of both buildings;
- a new Early Childhood wing that serves children from ages six weeks to four years;
- two new age-appropriate playgrounds;
- replacement of a running track;
- an upgraded football field;
- newly-installed basketball courts; and
- improved and rerouted parking lots.
While work on the playgrounds and track area is ongoing, one other promised improvement was also incomplete during the November celebrations: the campus’ showpiece building, The Cube, is yet to be built.
The Cube is slated to be a brand-new, multi-purpose 5,000-square-foot facility situated between the Brownell and Holmes buildings. District officials indicated from the start of renovations that The Cube would open in the spring or summer of 2025.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments thus far,” said Kevelin Jones, FCS superintendent in a public statement. “This open house is a testament to the resilience and spirit of our school community, and we are grateful for the ongoing support of our scholars, staff, families, and partners.”
A win-win
Shamarion Grace, Brownell STEM Academy principal, said the upgraded building has been “a great experience,” and “a win-win.”
“Students love it,” she beamed in consideration of the space she’s administered for the past seven years. “You can see the smiles on their faces, excitement when they come to school.”
Beginning as a middle-high school teacher, Grace has served Flint’s public schools for 35 years. Before that, she earned degrees from the University of Michigan-Flint, Eastern Michigan University, and Wayne State University after graduating from Beecher High School, which is in the midst of its own upgrades nearby.
“The Cube … and Possibilities”
“We need our babies back,” Superintendent Jones declared in May 2023, as the financial impact of eight in ten “babies” choosing not to enroll in Flint schools, despite their Flint zip codes, was taking its toll on the district.
The rollout of the Brownell-Holmes Cube project at an Oct. 16, 2023 FBOE meeting emphasized the new building’s “possibilities” beyond just the students’ needs in North Flint.
Namely, it envisioned “a community Hub for resources residents need in North Flint [including] a gymnasium, athletic fields, academic success programming, workforce development, arts exploration, health and wellness” and other services.
Printed “priorities” also included “expanded opportunities that allow the district to be competitive for enrollment in North Flint.”
Arguably, the disadvantage of the Brownell-Holmes upgrade strategy to attract and retain students is that its enrollment possibilities end at the 8th grade. Whereas nearby Beecher High School and New Standard Academy go through 12th grade, there are no FCS high school options on the city’s north end.
Nonetheless, FCS leadership remains hopeful the investment in Brownell-Holmes will foster pride and possibility, according to language found on the district’s website:
“The vision is coming to pass, and FCS is Reenergizing the Pride, Renovating the Plans, Rebuilding the Possibilities, and Repurposing for a Brighter Future! Let’s Go, Flint! We are moving forward. Who’s ready to catch the spirit and join us?”
This article also appears in East Village Magazine’s December 2024 issue.
