Four months and one superintendent later, Dowagiac Union Schools is ready to resume its public tours of its facilities.

The district will give a guided walkthrough of Patrick Hamilton Elementary on Monday at 6 p.m., before the meeting of the board of education. Like the previous building tours, administrators will take attendees throughout the entire building, including areas like the boiler room, which is not typically seen by parents.

“We’ll be focusing on safety and technology concerns,” said Superintendent Paul Hartsig. “We’ll look at the positives about the building, as well as some of things that need to be improved upon.”

Patrick Hamilton is one of two buildings that the public has yet to visit, the other being Kincheloe Elementary. The tours are meant to give parents and other district residents a chance to evaluate the current state of the facilities and to allow them to give feedback on any future renovations or additions.

Among the areas the district would like to address across their current
buildings are updates to roofing and heating systems, Hartsig said. Improvements to security and accessibility are also of interest to leadership, the superintendent added.

“New technology infrastructure is something else we’re looking at,” he said. “We are moving into a more technology-centric method of teaching. The days of having one outlet in your class just isn’t going to cut it.”

At the conclusion of the walkthroughs, the district plans on assembling a committee of citizens to sift through the feedback and form a recommended plan of action for future improvements.

Hartsig said he is hoping to draw in around 40 to 50 people on Monday evening.

“It’s a good opportunity for the people of Dowagiac to learn about the school and see how things inside,” he said. “It’s a behind the scenes look at how the school operates.”