Flint Community Schools broke ground on a new Michigan high school at the former Flint Central High School site, marking the city’s first new high school build in more than 50 years.
The project is backed by major philanthropic and state funding, with demolition, abatement, and site preparation expected to shape the next phase of work.
The project is a high-visibility education build that pairs community redevelopment with a multiyear campus replacement effort.
Flint Community Schools broke ground on a new Michigan high school at the site of the former Flint Central High School, marking the city’s first new high school construction project in more than 50 years.
The June 17 ceremony signals the start of a major education and redevelopment effort in Flint’s cultural center.
ABC12 reported the new building carries a commitment from the C.S. Mott Foundation, while other local coverage said the broader project and related facility upgrades are supported by additional state funding.
District leaders, alumni and community members gathered at the former Flint Central campus to mark what local officials described as a generational investment in the city’s public school system.
The new school will replace a long-vacant site that has stood as a symbol of decline since Flint Central closed after the 2008-09 school year.
The Flint-based C.S. Mott Foundation is providing up to $100 million toward the new high school, according to local media reports. MLive reported the Michigan Department of Education has also committed $35.9 million toward the school project and other building upgrades across the district.
That funding mix gives the project unusual weight for a K-12 build. It combines philanthropic capital with public support at a time when many districts face tight budgets, aging facilities and rising construction costs.
The groundbreaking is only the first visible step.
ABC12 reported demolition of the old Flint Central building is expected to begin next month. Other local coverage said abatement work has already started, with demolition, site clearing and grading expected to continue before major vertical construction ramps up in 2027.
Projects on legacy school sites often carry added complexity tied to hazardous-material abatement, demolition logistics, utility planning, and phased site preparation.
In Flint, those early packages will shape the schedule for the new campus and determine how quickly the district can move from ceremonial start to full construction.
Local reports said students are expected to begin classes in the new building in fall 2028.
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