I read this statement at the school board meeting on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. held at the TCAPS Administration Building (2075 Cass Road, Traverse City, MI 49684)

Good evening members of the Board, my name is Rebecca Schubert and I am a resident and taxpayer in the district.

I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication to our community. However, the vote to demolish the TC Central Gym has revealed a massive communication gap. Many voters were entirely blindsided because demolition was left out of the public conversation. The response has been swift, in one week over 850 people have signed this petition.

When TCAPS put the 2024 Capitol Bond before voters, they campaigned on remodeling, ADA upgrades, and security. There was no mention of demolition. For the Central Grade School project, your documents promised "reconstruction and renovation." You gave those voters a transparent heads-up. Yet, for our gym, you omitted those words, only to quietly vote for demolition later.

Let’s be clear: One sentence in the middle of a Ticker article back in July 2025, titled Central High Renovations, does not count as actively notifying the public about a demolition. A hand-picked group of individuals and a few TCAPS employees should not be the ones to decide whether it should stay or go. To argue that the public was actively notified BEFORE or AFTER the demolition vote is an insult to every voter who was left in the dark. When public trust is broken, future bond votes are put at risk.

There are so many unanswered questions. Without a concrete plan our athletic teams will be crippled by the lack of gym space. Where will our students practice/have games during construction? If they use the East Middle School fieldhouse, how will they get there? Why not build the field house on property first so we have the gym space we need? With facility space at a premium, why is a winter sport like wrestling getting a dedicated gym space for the entire year? Is all of this community upheaval really worth it end up with less gym space?

To justify this demolition, rumors have been swirling that this gym is an inaccessible hazard. One is that gurneys can’t access the main floor gyms, false, gurneys have direct access to the main floor gyms via the parking lot ramp located right off the small gym. ZERO stairs. Another is that there is no elevator or that it is broken; yes there is an elevator, and it works, my mom has relied on it for years. Remaining access constraints, i.e., upper levels and entry from the school, can easily be resolved with modern ramps and larger elevators for gurneys. There is no question that this building needs a lot of ADA upgrades and renovations, but it is frustrating to watch a community landmark be condemned based on these false narratives.

Furthermore, the argument that we have already sunk $1.4 million into this project and "cannot stop now" is flawed. That money bought four distinct architectural plans—including a full renovation option. Allowing the public to review these designs would go a long way in ensuring we are all working toward the best possible outcome.

For 68 years, this gym has been the heartbeat of our school community. It isn’t just a brick and morter, it is a living archive of memories for countless alumni, students, parents, and teachers. Tearing it down erases our shared legacy for past and future generations.

I ask the board to pause this demolition and host a community forum to review these options, and ensure the best path forward for our students.

Thank you.

Please join me in the fight to save this historic gym, sign and share this petition🥰

Notice of Clarification: The text of this petition was updated on September 28, 2026 to provide clearer language and context with the same message and goals as the first petition.

Matthew Schmidt

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