Zeeland Township officials are buying the former Summit School (8,000 square-foot facility) site in Vriesland. The sale will be completed this winter.

Board members recently revealed their plans to purchase the property for use by the fire department. The five-acre site is located at 6456 Byron Road. Their vision is for fire and emergency services to be located in the center of the township.

School officials said they can no longer use the site as the building is too small and located on a busy intersection.

It was first opened in 1952 as Vriesland School with three classrooms. In 1964 a gym was added. In 1968 the school was annexed to the Zeeland Public School district.

It was closed in 1988 due to problems with the schools outdated septic system. In 1994 a bond issue led to renovations to the building so it could house Summit School, an alternative school for seventh-twelfth graders. Summit School moved to Zeeland East High School in September, 2005 as part of cost-cutting measures in the district. The building has been vacant since. The money from the sale of the school building will be used to purchase property in the township as there will probably be a need for another elementary school within five years, depending on growth.

Currently the district has one elementary school, Woodbridge Elementary, in Zeeland Township. The district already owns 133 acres on Gordon Street between 64^th and 72^nd avenues, which it purchased a few years ago but that property will eventually be used for a middle school or high school.

(Grand Valley West Advance – February 20, 2007)

Zeeland School Board members last week approved the sale of the former Summit School and five additional acres in Zeeland Township.

It agreed to sell the school, on about two acres at 6456 Byron Road, for $305,000 to the Church of God (Seventh Day), and five acres adjacent to the school for $105,683 to Zeeland Township. The five acres is next to the township hall, located at 6582 Byron Road and will be used for fire department and emergency services. The township had purchased several acres on 88^th Avenue for a future fire station, but decided it is not a central location. That land is now for sale.

The church will occupy the facility. The church currently is located at 6934 152^nd Avenue, West Olive, Michigan.