Knabusch Math & Science Center reports record visits, urges infrastructure fixes

Nicole, coordinator of the Knabusch Math & Science Center, told the Monroe Public Schools Board of Education that the center operates on roughly 50 acres under a lease with the Department of Natural Resources and provided about 108 field trips last year for more than 4,000 students — roughly 30% from Monroe Public Schools. “Every kid and every hour is equal to $6,” she said, and reported the center’s annual billing previously hit about $38,000 in required fair‑market payments but generated over $200,000 in the most recent year.

Nicole said the center received a $300,000 Southeastern Michigan Resilience Fund grant for habitat work, invasive species control and trail infrastructure, and that the grant covered engineering work but not the full cost of culvert structures needed to reduce flood risk. “Those culverts then would be able to be shut in the event we are having a high water situation to try to stop the flooding again,” she said. She described a backlog of lease addenda requiring DNR approvals and the need for a 16-by-32 storage shed to house canoes, life jackets and research gear.

Board members and staff pressed for details about accessibility and safety. Nicole described efforts to add ADA‑compliant indoor tactile exhibits for neurodivergent students and said she is meeting with the DNR and outside educators to model displays. She also flagged security and staffing limits at the remote site and asked the district to consider infrastructure fixes, including heating and improved camera and gate control, to enable winter field trips and safer events.