В округе Маккомб открылся новый центр для детей с особыми потребностями, названный в честь ветерана образования Дон Боллинджера

MACOMB COUNTY — Don Bollinger has spent the bulk of his life looking out for Macomb County’s most vulnerable students. In the 50-plus years he’s worked for the Macomb Intermediate School District, he has been a leading advocate for the special needs population and championed the cause of special education. Now, his legacy is being marked permanently and prominently with a new building that aims to help children and young adults with disabilities reach their full potential. MISD officials say the 120,000-square-foot facility was designed specifically to meet the unique educational, medical and therapeutic needs of students with significant disabilities. The center provides specialized educational opportunities and comprehensive support services for students with complex medical needs requiring nursing care, such as ventilators, tracheostomies, feeding tubes and other specialized healthcare supports. “This is the first special education facility designed and built in Macomb County for students with special needs,” Bollinger said in a late-August interview. “It has been severely needed for a number of years.” The center has a number of specialized therapy rooms to accommodate students with various physical and mental impairments and is expected to serve more than 275 individuals, primarily from southern Macomb County. “It will give them opportunities that they’ve never had,” Bollinger said, citing features such as vestibular swings for students with movement and balance disorders and a therapy pool for those with muscle difficulties. “Students with cerebral palsy, when they get into water, their muscles relax,” Bollinger said about the pool. “ It’s the only time they ever relax. And it allows them to have freedom that they haven’t had before.” The Bollinger Education Center was built on the site of the former Fillmore Elementary School on Irving Road, near Van Dyke Avenue and 15 Mile Road. It will serve students age 4-26 and operate year-round, with the exception of a handful of short breaks. Bollinger said he’s proud the facility bears his name, noting, “It will be a legacy for me long after I’m not here.” In a statement, the MISD said naming the building after “Bolly” Bollinger “recognizes not only his professional accomplishments, but also his lifelong advocacy for students with special needs and families who depend on these essential services.” “Throughout his career, Bollinger continues to be known as a collaborative leader, mentor and advocate whose work helps expand opportunities and support systems for students with diverse needs,” MISD Superintendent Michael DeVault said. “His commitment to service and innovation will shape the culture and programs that continue to benefit families throughout Macomb County today.” A dedication ceremony for the building was held Aug. 30. Bollinger, who continues to serve as the district’s deputy superintendent, said working in special education has been a gratifying career. “It’s extremely rewarding to see students make advances that people had given up on,” he said. “Once you get involved with these students, and they become part of you, then you have a desire to help them in any way that you can.” The new building will serve as a replacement for the MISD’s Keith Bovenschen School in Warren. Ashley Levell, president of the Bovenschen Parent Group, said she is looking forward to the upgraded facility. “Thank you to our community for your help in bringing a dream to life,” she said. “I’m so grateful that my son, AJ, along with many other special needs individuals, have such an amazing place like the Bollinger Center to grow, learn, and become the incredible people they are.” Bollinger, a longtime Clinton Township resident who recently relocated to Washington Township, has seen and been part of many advances in special education during his lengthy career. He said the new namesake facility is another step forward in Macomb County but more needs to be done to boost specially challenged individuals who deserve “to be equal partners in education.” “ It’s a great opportunity but by no means is it a culmination,” he said. “It’s really the beginning. We have other buildings and other things that need to be done for our special education population, and we hope to move forward to provide these kinds of facilities for all students who are vulnerable and need special help.”