This is a very exciting day for students, parents and staff across Kent ISD districts.

Opening a new school is always a cause for celebration, and especially this one – the first of its type in 40 years!

Thank you Amy and Joshua, for helping with our flag, and thank you Joseph, for leading us in the Pledge.  Thank you all for joining us on a very special occasion - the dedication of this amazing new building – Pine Grove Learning Center.

It’s not often we get a chance to do this.  The last time we built a new facility for our students with multiple needs, it was the 1960’s & 70’s and we were wearing long hair, funny clothes and peace signs!  Or at least some of us were... 

We are here today because of an important partnership with Grand Rapids Public Schools.  We work together to serve students with specific disabilities who need specialized teaching, services, facilities and equipment. That means Kent ISD builds and maintains the buildings, plus has monitoring and oversight responsibility for all the special education programs. 

Grand Rapids selects the staff and runs the educational program for all the students in our boundaries, from Kent City to Thornapple-Kellogg, and Lowell to Grandville and every district in between.

Grand Rapids Public Schools has a long history of meeting the needs of these special students over the years, and has been recognized as a leader in special education services throughout our state.  This collaboration has served students, families and all our communities very well.  And today, it culminates in this wonderful new school.

I am so happy to be here with you.  As some of you may know, I began my education career at the Lincoln Campus where we also serve students with many specialized needs.  Some of the students and families here today are coming from Lincoln – and will now have a much shorter ride to school and can spend more time learning.

From a playground with swings for wheelchairs, to a big porch where you can get out of the snow, and flexible classrooms where many needs can be met in one place – this is a very special school.  You’ll hear more about what makes Pine Grove unique from our other speakers, and have the chance to see these features after our brief program.

Someone said (and I’m paraphrasing) that you can tell a lot about a society from the way it treats the most vulnerable citizens.  I am so proud that within this ISD, our School Boards, Superintendents and Communities are so committed to ALL children, we have built a world-class school to educate these special students – truly some of our vulnerable citizens.

This will be a safe and happy place to learn and grow – just what a school should be!  I’d like to thank all of the people who have contributed, on my staff, the GRPS staff, those at the architecture firm, the contractor and all the sub-contractors.  We are grateful for your good work.

 Pinegrove Progress