We, the undersigned, would like to formally give our support to the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) project to revitalize the Thurston Elementary community with a brand new, state-of-the-art, Thurston Elementary.

The current structure, built 61 years ago, is nearing the end of its useful life and is showing its age. The studies conducted by the district have given Thurston a rating of “Poor,” one of the worst in the entire district. Further analysis has shown that even if the building were to be gutted to the outer walls and rebuilt from the inside out, the best rating possible would be “Good.” For our children and our community, “Good” isn’t good enough. If the time, energy, effort, and resources are going to be spent, we want nothing short of “Excellent.” We are confident the new Thurston will be most excellent.

We are excited about the prospect of a new building. The new designs focuses on the needs of Thurston’s students and staff with an eye towards longevity, flexibility, and security. The current building has been retrofitted and updated sporadically over the course of six decades. The classrooms are cramped and dark, with educational technology the building’s architects didn’t anticipate haphazardly bolted to walls and ceilings. In the new Thurston, there will be an emphasis on natural light, technology integration, and ventilation, creating a warm, welcoming, and healthy space for young learners for generations to come. Currently, the support staff are crammed into repurposed closets and partitioned rooms. The new building will have dedicated spaces for them to work with children who need a little extra help to thrive. This extra space will allow the staff to integrate the latest educational practices into their work, improving outcomes for all of the students. The community also stands to benefit from the new building. Areas on the ground floor will be accessible and available to the public, giving local groups and organizations places to meet, while maintaining a secure perimeter around the classrooms.

We are especially excited by the prospect of bringing the students closer to nature and making it a central part of their learning experience at the new Thurston. The district and its contractors have met with representatives from the Thurston Nature Center and significantly revised the site plan in response to their concerns. As it stands, trees will be relocated and saved, safeguards will be in place to protect the pond, and construction will be timed to minimize the effects on migratory animals, like monarch butterflies and four unique bat species. Additionally, they will be building a new, expanded rain garden to help with stormwater management, creating additional wild spaces on the school grounds.

We are grateful for the hard work that has gone into the research, analysis, and development of the plan for the new Thurston. It’s not easy to balance all the needs of the students and staff with those of the community against the laws and regulations that govern where and how schools are built, but they have managed to do it. We think transparency and community participation are important and are aware this has not gone as smoothly as anyone would have liked. That said, we look forward to improved communication with the district and the contractor as we navigate the planning and construction process. We are also grateful that Thurston’s students will be able to continue using the existing building during construction, minimizing disruption to existing routines, preventing a drop in enrollment and family involvement, and not adding the undesirable increase in traffic through the neighborhood that staging would entail.

The new Thurston and its grounds will be a source of pride for our neighborhood. We’re excited to see how it turns out!