Flint Community Schools Breaks Ground on New High School: What It Means for Students, Families, and the District's Future

At the long-vacant Flint Central High School and Whittier Classical Academy campus, Flint Community Schools broke ground June 17, 2026, on a new high school — the city's first new public high school in more than 50 years. For a district marked by school closures, enrollment losses and disinvestment, the ceremony puts a visible promise on a site that has stood empty for years.

The school is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and is planned for approximately 1,000 students. For families who have watched promises to Flint students fall short, that date is now the measure: Can the district deliver the building on time, at the quality it has promised and without losing sight of what the community asked for?

"It's been a long time coming," Kevelin B. Jones II, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, said.

Flint Central High School and Whittier Classical Academy closed in June 2009 as enrollment fell and maintenance costs climbed. The district said it could not afford the approximately $27 million in renovations the buildings needed. They have stood vacant and deteriorating since, part of a district inventory of more than 20 empty buildings linked to enrollment losses.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place despite light rain, with students, families, staff, alumni, community members and local partners in attendance. A student at the ceremony stated they were glad to say their generation will be the first scholars in the new school.

The project carries a $135 million budget. The state of Michigan awarded approximately $35.9 million through a consolidation grant from the Michigan Department of Education. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation announced a commitment of up to $100 million on June 17, 2026. Together, the state grant and the Mott commitment total $135.9 million, fully funding the project.

The Mott Foundation's commitment is conditional, requiring the district to match state and local funding contributions and maintain direct communication with the foundation for grant administration, with funds tied to project milestones and matching contributions. Those requirements give residents specific moments to ask whether the schedule is holding, where money is going and whether work promised to the community is actually moving forward.

The arrangement also follows a recent rupture between the district and the foundation. The Mott Foundation paused all grants to Flint Community Schools in July 2021 because the school board required the board president to be present for all superintendent-foundation communications, but the grants were restored shortly thereafter.

Crews are beginning asbestos removal at the former Central-Whittier site, with demolition and site preparation work occurring through 2026 and major vertical construction beginning in 2027. Demolition of the historic Napoleon J. LaVoie Field House began on July 13, 2026, as a critical step to clear the site.

The district currently has a little more than 600 high school students. They attend classes at Accelerated Learning Academy and Southwestern Classical Academy, the district's two high school programs for 9th through 12th graders, and will continue at those locations until the new school opens in September 2028.

Stantec is serving as the lead architect and engineer, with the campus designed to support flexible academic programming and athletics. Clark Construction is the construction manager.

The design process involved robust community engagement supported by a Mott Foundation grant, including surveys, meetings with neighborhood groups, and a Programming Phase from March to May 2025 to finalize space requirements, followed by a Schematic Design Phase through summer 2025. During that process, families, alumni and residents urged the Board to preserve a larger segment of the century-old Central High structure, specifically requesting retention of more of the original façade beyond just the iconic tower. The chosen design preserves the tower as learning spaces and incorporates salvaged bricks and parts of the original façade into the new building. Community feedback also emphasized the need for innovative learning spaces that support collaboration, creativity and community engagement, along with new athletic fields, a gym and a theater — all incorporated into the approved plan. The Flint Community Schools Board unanimously approved the architectural design on December 3, 2025.

"Our scholars deserve to be taught in a building that's state-of-the-art. They deserve that," Kevelin B. Jones II, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, said.

The project's stakes reach beyond the students expected to walk through its doors in 2028. Flint Community Schools currently enrolls approximately 2,525 students, a steep decline from historic enrollment of 40,000 to 50,000. Approximately 80 percent of school-age children living in Flint — roughly 10,000 to 12,000 students — do not enroll in Flint Community Schools, choosing charter schools, private schools or other districts instead. The district has fallen to the eighth-largest school system in Genesee County, behind districts like Fenton and Kearsley. In March 2026, the district requested $8.7 million from the state to demolish unsafe vacant structures, including Flint Northern High School.

The new school's 1,000-student capacity significantly exceeds current high school enrollment. Superintendent Jones believes the new facility will rejuvenate the district and serve both current students and those who want to return. Jones has held the superintendent position since November 2021, and his contract was extended through 2029.

"This groundbreaking represents more than the start of a construction project; it symbolizes hope, opportunity, and our continued investment in Flint's students," Kevelin B. Jones II, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, said. "We are excited to celebrate this important moment with our community and look forward to building a high school that our scholars, families, and community can be proud of for generations to come," Kevelin B. Jones II, superintendent of Flint Community Schools, said.

Joyce Ellis-McNeal, president of the Flint Community Schools Board of Education, cited the groundbreaking as a milestone of the R4 vision in a June 5, 2026, press release.

Readers can monitor construction progress by checking the district's online New High School project status page, attending Board of Education meetings where construction updates are presented, and asking district leadership for milestone reports tied to the Mott Foundation's funding schedule.