Ann Arbor District Engages Public in Feedback for Burns Park Elementary School Renovations

During an April 3 open house at Burns Park Elementary School in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, district officials wanted members of the public to think big. They used the opportunity to gather input for a significant modernization of the school building that, according to the school district's construction projections, would begin in 2027.

Ann Arbor Public Schools has identified several elementary schools slated for rebuilding over the next several years. However, Burns Park will remain standing as interior improvements and exterior expansions occur around it.

Consultants hired by the school district to gather feedback from families in the school community said no idea was too large to be considered.

To assist participants in brainstorming, the district's bond team created multiple interactive stations presenting visuals showing designs of potential learning spaces and encouraging attendees to submit ideas and questions.

A student team from the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability surveyed Burns Park families, asking individuals to identify features they want to keep and change on a printed diagram of the school site and the surrounding park.

An urban design consultant from the firm Seventh Hill met with families to discuss visual concepts for outdoor play areas using an UrbanistAI resource.

Speaking with MLive, district spokesperson Andrew Cluley said that much of what construction will entail at Burns Park in renovating the elementary school facility is still under discussion.

“We know the modulars are going away,” he said on Thursday, April 3. “And there's a one-story addition, and that goes away.”

Burns Elementary parent Caitlin Beuche told MLive there is a significant need “to transition to a build that serves both the students and the teachers better.”

Follow the bond work on this project online at A2schoolsbond.org.