Demolition To Begin at Highland Middle, Baker Elementary Schools

Demolition is set to begin Monday for Baker Elementary School and Highland Middle School, according to an email from Huron Valley Schools.

Fences will be erected around the properties and it is expected that heavy equipment will be on site beginning the week of April 8.

According to the school district email, the demolition area is off-limits due to the fact that conditions will be unsafe for anyone other than those trained for this type of work.

"We are asking for cooperation from our neighbors and others to ensure that only those with permission are on site," the email states.

Due to declining enrollment and diminished state aid, the two schools were closed in 2011. The Board of Education then decided in December 2012 to demolish the buildings after the district did not receive any offers for to purchase the buildings that worked or that were near market value. Highland and Milford also both declined offers to purchase the buildings.

In 2012, there was pending legislation that would require every vacant school building to be listed by the state and made available for use to charter schools. As a result, the decision was made by the school district to knock the buildings down.

That legislation was not passed into law.