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Anchor Bay superintendent outlines bond-funded classroom expansions, playground redesigns
Summary
Superintendent Jankowski updated the board on bond-funded work shifting from the high school to middle schools and Lighthouse early-childhood wing: plans include enlarging classrooms (about 640 sq ft to ~1,000 sq ft), phased summer/second‑shift construction to meet an Aug. 20 deadline, new playground features, and repurposing an auto shop into a band room at Middle School South.
Superintendent Steven Jankowski told the Anchor Bay School District Board that the district is shifting the next phase of bond work from the high school to middle schools and Lighthouse early‑childhood facilities and described planned classroom and site changes.
"We are looking to make these classrooms that are typically about 640 square feet to enlarge those to about a 1000 square feet so that [teachers] have the opportunity to have more flexibility," Jankowski said, describing Phase A of the project as the district's heaviest construction area and noting an Aug. 20 hard stop for parts of the project.
Jankowski said the work is being divided into three sections (A, B and C). Section A would be isolated from the rest of the school so crews can begin work before the regular school year ends; sections B and C are less intensive and would be scheduled primarily for the summer and second shift to avoid disrupting the school day. He described a staged approach to playgrounds that reflects student feedback: a walking path, seating areas, an octagon gathering space, swings, a wiffle‑ball area, a covered pavilion suitable for outdoor classrooms and both small and large fields. The board heard a request from students to consider two pickleball courts instead of one.
At Middle School South, Jankowski said the district plans to relocate the auto‑shop program to the high school and convert the vacated space into a new band room; campus exterior upgrades and a new storage building were also described. At Lighthouse, the district plans to begin work on the oldest wing, reassigning some rooms to early‑childhood program offices and updating classrooms with new flooring, lighting and electrical systems. Jankowski characterized many details as tentative and said the district is still in a discovery phase with contractors surveying buildings.
The superintendent also described a furniture strategy favoring mobile storage units and flexible desks rather than built‑in casework, allowing teachers to reconfigure rooms for centers and group work. Board members asked operational questions about recess safety and access; Jankowski said gates will be placed at entries to prevent vehicle access to play areas.
Next steps: staff will continue on‑site assessments through the winter and finalize phasing and contractor schedules in advance of summer work and the district's internal hard stops.
