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Senior-center leaders urge school-district support after $5M Meridian grant becomes unusable
Summary
The Meridian Senior Center’s advisory co-president and the center coordinator reported the center’s space at Chipoa Middle School will end in May 2028 and said a $5 million township grant can no longer be used because of state rule changes. They urged continued collaboration with the district on siting and planning.
Speakers and the senior center coordinator presented an update on the Meridian Senior Center and asked the board for continued partnership as the center plans long-term options.
Barbara O. Kelly, co-president of the senior center advisory board, told trustees the center has used space in Chipoa Middle School for more than 50 years but that the center’s current space will end in May 2028. She said Meridian Township had formally released a $5 million grant for a new senior center but "the state changed the rules and we can no longer use that grant," leaving the center’s future uncertain and prompting a need for collaboration among the township, the school district, and other partners.
Sherry Wisdom, who identified herself as the senior center coordinator, described the center’s intergenerational programming and provided membership trends: 131 members in 2007; 476 in 2015; 519 in 2019; 350 last year; and 242 currently (the transcript notes someone joined that day to increase the total to 242). Wisdom emphasized the center’s social, health and volunteer benefits for older adults, said Chipua (Chipoa) Middle School is scheduled for demolition in 2028, and asked to be part of planning conversations so senior-center members can remain connected to the district.
Trustees and staff acknowledged the importance of the center and discussed ongoing conversations with Meridian Township representatives; trustees asked administration to continue coordination about potential facilities and transitions.
Next steps: the district and township will continue dialogue about locating a new center or preserving senior services during the Chipua demolition and school transitions; trustees were invited to visit the senior center.
