Voters to Decide on Ingham ISD Special Education Bond at May 5 Election

A nearly $100 million bond proposal for Ingham Intermediate School District to replace and renovate its special education buildings is up for voter approval in a special election on May 5.

The bond, if approved, would pay for Ingham Intermediate School District, or Ingham ISD, to tear down and rebuild the Beekman Center in Lansing and update Heartwood School in Mason.

Earlier this year East Lansing Info toured the Beekman Center with Superintendent of Ingham ISD Jason Mellema, who showcased the building. The Beekman Center was groundbreaking when it was built during a time where special education programs were almost non-existent, but has long-outlived its useful life.

From doorframes and classrooms that aren’t conducive for ease of access for students’ mobility aids to crumbling ceiling tiles and inaccessible bathrooms, Mellema highlighted various infrastructure changes that are needed at the Beekman Center. The center was built in the 1960s, years before special education became federally mandated and decades prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

So amid the American Civil Rights Movement, the Greater Lansing Area took it upon itself to also consider the rights of children who could benefit from specialized programming and established the Beekman Center, Mellema said.

“That’s something that resonates with me, that this is an area that has cared and it says a lot about a community who champions causes for people who can’t necessarily give something back to them, You’re advocating on behalf of those who can’t advocate for themselves,” Mellema said. “One of the things that makes us proud from our value systems as Americans is how we ensure that we take care of everybody and so whether it’s somebody in East Lansing or whether it’s somebody in any one of our 12 grade districts, I think this is an opportunity that restores us back to the roots, the legacy and the heritage that we have on behalf of those with special needs, and also gives us a pathway forward to ensure that dignity and those educational opportunities will continue.”

About 240 students ages 3 to 26 receive services between the Beekman Center and Heartwood School, according to Mellema.

In the interest of students’ privacy and complying with federal laws protecting students’ rights to confidentiality, Mellema said he can’t say how many East Lansing students attend the programs that would be paid for by the bond. However, he said across the 12 area school districts Ingham ISD serves, over 7,000 students qualify for special education services, with just under 500 of those students attending East Lansing schools.

About 56 East Lansing students are in programs supported by Ingham ISD, Mellema said.

If Ingham ISD didn’t provide programming at the Beekman Center and Heartwood School, local districts would have to navigate how to provide comparable services on their own at higher costs to local residents, Mellema said. 

The bond proposal would levy a property tax on residents of 55 cents for each $1,000 of taxable value.

Earlier this year East Lansing Info talked to individuals connected to Ingham ISD and its special education programming and they regaled the importance of Beekman and Heartwood that give students opportunities to learn basic life skills and tools for independence to the degree they have capability.

From music and dancing to baking and crafts, Denise Fitzpatrick who taught at Beekman for more than 40 years before retiring told ELi the Beekman Center has been a touchstone for how special education should look across the world. Mellema and Fitzpatrick earlier this year touted the Beekman Center as the first center-based special education building in the country back in the 60s, which has since been replicated, where students can receive educational programming, while also having other needs like physical therapy and medical intervention available.

“It’s too good of a place to let it not continue to be a state-of-the-art type of building for our students.”  Fitzpatrick said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement from kids doing these things that are extra and fun. The quality of life is important, so we try to give them things to do that are fun and motivating in a building that is colorful and bright.”