State rep requests $5 million for Lansing fieldhouse while students struggle to read

Three years after residents approved a $129.7 million bond for improvements in the Lansing School District’s infrastructure, a local state representative is asking state taxpayers for money to upgrade a district-owned facility.

An earmark request sponsored by Rep. Kara Hope, D-Holt, asks for $5.2 million from the 2026 state budget to renovate the Don Johnson Fieldhouse. The facility was once part of Eastern High School, which has since been shuttered due to low enrollment in the district.

The high school building was razed after the Sparrow Health System purchased it for $2.5 million, according to a 2016 district press release. But the district still owns the fieldhouse and uses it for various events.

Hope did not respond to a request for comment. The House of Representatives document that describes the earmark request says the funds would improve the building that houses programs offering “free, year-round access to crucial academic resources, skill-building opportunities, nutritious meals, and mentorship.”

The district spent $105.7 million on all support services and administrative overhead in a recent year, according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. This amount includes spending on student support services, instructional staff support, general administration, school administration, operations and maintenance, student transportation and other support services.

Amid all that spending, Lansing students are struggling with basic proficiency, according to M-STEP test results from the 2023-24 school year.

Of the 99,206 fourth grade students who took the English Language Arts portion of the test, 56,299, or 57%, scored partially proficient or not proficient.

M-STEP results showed that only 42,907 fourth grade students, 43% of those tested, were proficient or advanced.

The Lansing School District did not respond to a request for comment.