Knabusch Math & Science Center director details growth, grants and infrastructure needs

Nicole Shaughnessy, coordinator of the Knabusch Math & Science Center, told the board the center operates on 50 acres under a Department of Natural Resources lease and charges a per‑student hourly fee that helped it exceed projected revenue targets last year.

"We are about 50 acres of DNR property that have entered into, originally, an agreement with Monroe Public Schools in 2003...every kid and every hour is equal to $6," Shaughnessy said, describing attendance of more than 4,000 students and about 108 field trips last year. She said the center’s contracted lease runs through Dec. 31, 2028, and that DNR staff have indicated they do not expect to reclaim the building.

Shaughnessy outlined recent grant awards and needs: a $300,000 Southeastern Michigan Resilience Fund (NFWF) award for invasive‑species control, habitat structures and arboretum work; a planned 16x32 storage shed to house canoes and life jackets; a 36x52 trailhead sign and interpretive displays; and engineering and culvert work to address unpredictable hydrology and past multi‑year flooding. She said culvert engineering was only partially covered by earlier grants and the district is seeking additional green‑infrastructure funding.

Board members praised the center’s community reach but questioned infrastructure costs and security. Shaughnessy acknowledged accessibility and safety constraints at the waterfront site and said the program is pursuing ADA‑compliant indoor features (a playhouse and a quiet room) to serve neurodivergent students and younger children.

The presentation concluded with requests for continued board support and for administration to coordinate on grant timing and any lease addenda needed to finalize infrastructure projects.