News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alpena Public Schools Superintendent Dave Rabbideau sits on a bench on May 26 outside Ella White Elementary School.

ALPENA — Alpena Public Schools owns property officials didn’t even know they had, a revelation that could become a key factor as school leaders review district-owned land in an attempt to “right-size” the district to put more money toward classrooms.

APS officials plan to close the building that houses Alternative Choices for Educational Success Academy and move that program into Alpena High School. Officials also discussed closing the APS central office property and moving those employees elsewhere, and could soon approve a deal to sell its bus garage on M-32 in exchange for a new transportation facility.

Those properties represent a fraction of the at least 362 acres of property APS owns in Alpena County, according to a News review of county property records. More than one-quarter of that acreage has no structure — no school building, no parking lot, no playground — on it.

When presented with that information, APS Superintendent Dave Rabbideau said district officials didn’t know they owned some of the property, such as a strip of land located between the central office and U.S.-23 South.

Although Rabbideau, who took over as superintendent last fall, said he doesn’t know the right size for the district, he said district officials analyze enrollment trends, review revenues and expenses, and look at the district’s geographic footprint, including the district’s buildings and their use.

“The overall trend is that student enrollment in Alpena has been declining for quite some time, and the district has taken steps along that history to close buildings and right-size the district,” he said. “And, so, we are just at a point now where we think we’re pretty close to being as efficient as we can, but there’s still some minor changes that could be made, because you don’t want to go too small and then find yourself with increasing enrollment and having to then go back out and start building.”

WHAT DOES THE DISTRICT OWN?

APS owns two 40-acre parcels on Long Rapids Road once used by the high school’s forestry students to learn about forest management, according to a 2016 forestry management plan commissioned by the district.

Rabbideau said the high school stopped offering that program about 12 years ago, although students still learn many of the same skills through agriculture courses and Future Farmers of America.

Some schools in the district sit on property extending beyond the immediate buildings and playgrounds.

The ACES property, considered most marketable by district officials, sits on 20 acres near apartments, senior living facilities, and doctors offices.

Hinks Elementary School sits on 38 acres stretching from U.S.-23 back to an area known colloquially as “the narrows.”

Besser Elementary School sits on 24 acres, and the district owns an additional four acres next to the school with nothing on it.

Sanborn Elementary School sits on a little over 10 acres, but the district also owns the ballfields next to the school and nearly an acre of unused property behind the ballfields.

The district also owns about eight acres on Wildcat Court, which the district uses to teach students about construction by building houses on the property that the district then sells.

While Rabbideau couldn’t say how the district used much of the property identified by The News, he said he would review that information as part of his efforts to right-size the district.

WHAT APS HAS SOLD ALREADY

APS has closed 12 school buildings over the last several decades as enrollment gradually declined. Maple Ridge, Sunset, Long Rapids, and Hubbard Lake elementaries closed most recently.

Maple Ridge, Long Rapids, and Hubbard Lake have since been sold, while APS still uses Sunset Elementary for its Alpena Family Partnership program, which offers elective classes to homeschooled students. Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency also uses Sunset for its preschool program.

Now, district officials have discussed the marketability of the APS central office and the Pinecrest Street property that previously housed ACES.

And, working with Grosse Pointe firm Vautgrand Holdings, APS officials plan to relocate the district’s transportation facility to a location behind the high school, near Wildcat Stadium. The developers would build a new facility in exchange for the current transportation property at 1357 M-32 W.

Rabbideau said district officials don’t plan to close or sell any other buildings.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT SIZE?

Spanning more than 600 square miles, APS is one of the largest school districts, geographically, in the state. The district encompasses all of Alpena County and, in Presque Isle County, all of Presque Isle Township and a part of Krakow Township.

APS enrollment has decreased 62% since it peaked during the 1973-74 school year, according to data provided by the district. When enrollment falls, schools not only end up with extra space, they lose money needed to run school facilities, because most of a district’s budget comes from per-pupil payments from the state.

Brad Banasik, legal counsel for the Michigan Association of School Boards, said only a local school board can decide if building consolidation makes sense for their district.

“It really depends on the facts and circumstances — the size of the district, how many students it’s lost over a period of time, and whether there is a surplus of buildings,” he said.