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Mott Foundation commits up to $100 million for new Flint Community Schools high school

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Education from Birth Through College

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A rendering of a Flint Community Schools high school.
The rendering showcases a possible design for the new Flint Community Schools high school being planned for the former Flint Central site. Rendering: Stantec

Flint, Michigan — The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation today announced it will commit up to $100 million to help build a new high school for Flint Community Schools.

“Flint residents have consistently told us that strengthening education is one of their top priorities,” said Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Mott Foundation. “As the Foundation celebrates 100 years of working in partnership with our hometown, we’re excited to help make the community’s long-held vision for a new high school a reality.

“Public schools are the heart of a well-functioning community,” White added. “And this commitment goes to the root of what C.S. Mott cared most about when he created the Foundation — helping young people in Flint have every opportunity to thrive.”

Mott’s commitment includes just over $6 million already granted to support design work, as well as demolition and preparation of the site of the former Flint Central High School. The Foundation’s funding also builds on $35.9 million awarded last year by the state of Michigan.

Today’s announcement is the result of years of conversation and collaboration with community members, FCS leadership and the Flint Board of Education.

“As we build this new high school, we are building something Flint can be proud of. We are grateful for the support and focused on delivering for our scholars,” said Kevelin Jones, FCS superintendent. “While the funding will help us construct a new building, its impact will extend even further. It will be an opportunity to redefine what’s possible for Flint kids through strong instruction, innovative learning and clear pathways to college, careers and life. It also reflects our broader commitment to reenergize, renovate, rebuild and repurpose how we serve scholars, ensuring every space and every program prepares them to graduate ready and confident.”

 

A rendering of a Flint Community Schools high school.
Rendering: Stantec

“This is a proud moment for Flint. We are thankful for the partnership behind this work, but what matters most is how our community is shaping what this school will become,” said Joyce Ellis-McNeal, president of the Flint Board of Education. “This high school belongs to the people of Flint — scholars, families, educators and residents — and reflects our shared belief in our young people. It will stand as a symbol of who we are and the future we are building together for our children.”

Abatement work at the former Flint Central High School is scheduled to begin later this month, to be followed by demolition later this year and then construction. The goal is for the new high school to be open for the start of the 2028-29 school year.

“As a parent of four school-aged kids in Flint, the new high school is a development that fills me with genuine enthusiasm,” said William Stegall, who also is a member of the Flint Parent Collaborative, an initiative coordinated by the Flint Center for Educational Excellence. “It represents an opportunity to strengthen community pride and restore confidence in the future of education for Flint families.”

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