Multiple public commenters told the Flint Board of Education Committee of the Whole on Sept. 12 that plans for the city’s high school campus should preserve more of Flint Central and neighboring Whittier rather than limit preservation to isolated fragments.

Samantha Farrah, who identified herself as a third-generation graduate of Flint Central High School, urged the board to demand planning solutions that “protect 1 of the few standing institutions that represent the rich cultural heritage of our community.” She said preservation supports student learning by sustaining a sense of place.

Architect Kurt Niswander told the board the current 2025 design concept “discards almost all” of the earlier preservation measures shown in a 2023 concept and criticized proposals that would place a modern building around a few relic walls. “It effectively turns the existing high school into a museum display,” he said, calling rehabilitation a more sustainable and fiscally responsible path.

Urban planner Cade Serfus said preservation and rehabilitation are worth the challenge and noted the buildings are unique in the county. “These are buildings that do not exist elsewhere in the county, and this is an asset that we can leverage,” he said.

Board members acknowledged the comments and urged residents to submit written feedback to ensure ideas can be reviewed by the planning team. Trustee Relafrey and others said the project must balance preservation goals with required safety standards and budget constraints.

Speakers referenced the Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation and pointed to local examples — the redevelopment of the Michigan School for the Deaf into the Powers Catholic High School campus — as precedents for reuse. Commenters asked the planning team to present alternatives that keep functioning parts of the landmark buildings rather than preserving only facades behind new construction.

No formal design decision was made at the committee meeting. Several board members emphasized that the project remains in draft stages and invited continued community engagement as plans are refined.