Classes will begin in a month on Bois Blanc Island, but one key piece is missing: a teacher.
The small, four-student school faces an uncertain future as the island community grapples with a statewide teacher shortage that is magnified by its remote location.
The island, just 34 square miles in area, is home to just 100 residents and is Michigan’s smallest school district. Its isolation, compounded by harsh winters accessible only by plane, makes recruiting educators a formidable challenge.
“I tell everyone, ‘We’re remote Alaska without the mountains,'” said Christine Hasbrouck, a local grandmother and teacher’s aide. Michigan Bridge.
Unlike its more populous neighbor, Mackinac Island, Bois Blanc’s ferry service is suspended for much of the year, further isolating the community.
Classes are scheduled to begin in a month on Bois Blanc Island, but one key piece is missing: a teacher.
The small, four-student school faces an uncertain future as the island community grapples with a statewide teacher shortage that is magnified by its remote location.
Enrollment at the K-8 school has fluctuated dramatically, dropping as low as two students in 2019.
Michigan once had nearly 7,000 one-room schools, but now only a handful remain, according to Rochelle Balkam, president of the Michigan One-Room Schools Association. The island school, technically a two-room building, reflects this historic model.
Bois Blanc residents, who live isolated from the mainland for much of the year, face unique challenges. Food is stored before the ferry stops running, and winter travel depends on expensive flights. Finding a teacher for the island’s four students is an even bigger hurdle.
“Our challenge now… not just because of the island, but because of the way teachers are in this world right now, there’s a huge shortage of them,” explains school board president Cindy Riker.
“Getting an experienced teacher is probably out of the question.”
Superintendent Angie McArthur said Thursday that the district is interviewing a potential teacher.
However, this person does not have the required teaching certification. To hire him or her, the district must apply to the state for a long-term substitute permit.
At just 34 square miles in size, the island is home to just 100 residents and the smallest school district in Michigan.
The school’s remote location, compounded by harsh winters accessible only by plane, makes recruiting educators a formidable challenge.
Additionally, the candidate would need to enroll in a teacher preparation program to remain at the school beyond a one-year period.
Michigan has recognized the statewide teacher shortage by funding initiatives to strengthen the teaching workforce, such as “grow your own talent” programs.
The Bois Blanc teacher wears many hats: educator, counselor, principal and even purchasing agent, according to school board President Riker.
The unique environment allows for personalized instruction, with teachers adapting lesson plans to each student’s pace.
School board member Amanda Beugly expressed a desire to make the island her family’s permanent home, but said she will not allow her fifth-grade son and seventh-grade daughter, Andrea, to return to school there if there is no qualified teacher to teach them.
“I think it’s such a challenging position that you need to have that experience… because you don’t have the same support structure in a one-room school that you would have in a regular school where you have other teachers that you can turn to for help,” Beugly said.
Andrea and her brother don’t want to leave the island. They have been attending school virtually, but their mother doesn’t want that to be permanent.
Superintendent Angie McArthur said Thursday that the district is interviewing a potential teacher. However, the individual does not have the required teaching certification. To hire him, the district must apply to the state for a long-term substitute permit.
Some children on the island do not want to move, but they may have to because the high school is located elsewhere. Daily flights to the mainland would be impractical because of the high cost.
Andrea’s situation is complicated by the fact that she will be starting high school in just two years. Her options are limited.
Daily flights to the mainland would be impractical due to the high cost. For example, chartering a flight to Cheboygan would cost $222 per trip with a minimum of three passengers.
Hasbrouck, a former classroom assistant, praised the school’s previous teacher, calling her “phenomenal.” Susan Rowell, the teacher herself, echoed this sentiment, describing her teaching experience on the island as “magical.”
Drouare has been visiting the island for a long time, but this is the first year her children will attend the local school. She said she believes that “a year or two (on the island) would give the children a different perspective and… opportunity.”
The family plans to re-evaluate their situation this fall and decide whether to remain on the island or return to East Lansing, where Drouare’s husband and 13-year-old son will stay.
If the Drouare family leaves and the Beugly family does not return, Hasbrouck’s grandson could be the only student at the school.
Economic pressures and a trend toward school consolidation threaten the survival of small schools. Bois Blanc Island School, with a budget of just $245,000, spends a staggering $61,000 per student — nearly three times the cost of Detroit Public Schools.
Economic pressures and a trend toward school consolidation threaten the survival of small schools. Bois Blanc Island School, with a budget of just $245,000, spends a staggering $61,000 per student — nearly three times the cost of Detroit Public Schools.
Despite these challenges, Bois Blanc residents appreciate their island lifestyle and look forward to having a full-time teacher. Drouare, who once went to school by snowmobile, highlighted the unique experience that island life offers.
“I would love nothing more than for 10 families with 25 children to move to this island and have that be our problem,” Hasbrouck said.
If the district can’t find a suitable teacher, it may have to rely on a remote instructor with an on-site classroom aide — a less-than-ideal solution according to Superintendent McArthur.
Despite these challenges, Bois Blanc residents appreciate their island lifestyle and look forward to having a full-time teacher. Drouare, who once went to school by snowmobile, highlighted the unique experience that island life offers.
Hasbrouck expressed reluctance to homeschool. She believes school provides essential structure and social learning beyond academics.
“That structure is part of what’s important,” Hasbrouck said. “They’re learning more than just academics. They’re learning a routine, they’re learning that this is how life works.”