Mott Foundation grants $10 million to support Beecher High School renovations

The brick front entrance of the former Beecher High School, located at 1020 W. Coldwater Road,
The former Beecher High School, located at 1020 W. Coldwater Road, is set to reopen by the end of 2026. Photo: Cristina Wright

Flint, Michigan – After being closed for 20 years, Beecher Community School District’s shuttered high school will soon open its doors again, thanks, in part, to a $10 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

The district closed the building in 2004 to address a significant fiscal deficit and relocated all high school students to the middle school building, where it has since operated both schools in the same space. The fully renovated high school building will feature 20 classrooms with innovative spaces that could serve up to 500 students. There are roughly 250 area high school students currently enrolled in BCSD.

“The Mott Foundation wants to help young people in our community succeed in school and life, and we continue to look for ways to reach and support them — no matter where they attend school,” said Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Mott Foundation. “This is a great opportunity to help one of our local school districts improve outcomes and strengthen the educational ecosystem in our community.”

Classroom walls are being removed to reconfigure the space for current-day needs of a high school. Photo: Cristina Wright

Because the roughly 49,000-square-foot building has been closed for two decades, the district is planning a full renovation. The project, which is estimated to cost $18 million, will include: demolishing small buildings on the site; replacing the roof, windows, flooring and doors; and relocating the gym and cafeteria. The building also will receive a new entrance and HVAC system, as well as new lockers.

According to Richard Klee, who just retired after serving as Beecher superintendent since July 2021, the district has achieved financial stabilization, allowing it to develop a vision for both enhanced facilities and academic offerings that will better meet the needs of today’s students and families.

“This is about more than just a new building for our students,” said Klee. “The new high school and a reimagined curriculum will create an opportunity for students to focus on career pathways and the soft skills required to advance in the world of work beyond graduation.”

Hallways throughout the building will receive an upgrade with new lockers, floors and paint. Photo: Cristina Wright

The new curriculum will include early access to career and technical education and precollege programming. It will offer programming in fine and performing arts, health care, and science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. The comprehensive high school model also will include community education and afterschool programming, and the district plans to increase social work support and enhance social-emotional programming.

In addition to the Mott Foundation, the state of Michigan and local philanthropist Matt Rizik have contributed significant support to the renovation project.

In 2022, Rizik, a Flint area native and chief executive officer at Detroit-based ROCK, which serves the Gilbert family and its companies, kicked off a capital campaign for the new high school with a personal donation and then publicly rallied more support for the project.

The brick front entrance of the former Beecher High School, located at 1020 W. Coldwater Road,
The former Beecher High School industrial arts building will be demolished as part of the renovations. The space will become a new driveway and bus loop for the high school. Photo: Cristina Wright

“Ever since I had the privilege of meeting the students and families of Beecher High, my passion for this project has only grown,” said Rizik. “The Beecher community is rich in resilience and resourcefulness, but like so many, it has needed meaningful investment to unlock its full potential. In just the short time I’ve been working with the school, I’ve witnessed the students’ passion for learning and their drive to succeed. The Mott Foundation’s grant will provide the students with the environment they deserve to build a strong foundation for lifelong success.”

Work to renovate the school already has begun, and the district hopes to welcome ninth through 12th grade students to the building by early 2026.

“As a 1983 Beecher High School graduate, I’m proud to see that a piece of Beecher’s history is being restored and will soon be a welcoming place for students once again,” said Marvin Smoot, Beecher Board of Education president. “Our students and the community deserve to be proud of what this district has to offer, and I’m excited for the future. We will continue to work together with teachers, staff and the community to focus on great outcomes for our kids.”


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