The Flat Rock Elementary School in Gladstone closed its doors about 2003. The staff of the Flat Rock Elementary School school posed for a photo back when Flat Rock was still an independent school district. The district then merged with Gladstone Area School District in 1970. From left, in front are Jody Harrison, sixth grade; Dennis Harrison, seventh grade; and Margaret Severinsen, first grade. In the second row are Mildred Ranguette, seventh grade; Joanne Christoff, kindergarten; Pearl Brady, first grade; Clifford Sutter, third grade; Mary Veach, second grade; Dan Voyle, second grade; and Guy Otoman, fourth grade. In back are Dan Hakanson, fifth grade; Wayne Christoff, eighth grade; Doug Westcott, fourth grade; Tom Vretzke, sixth grade; Wallace Slade, fifth grade; and Joseph Stevens, eighth grade. All are deceased except for Jody and Denis Harrison, Wallace Slade, Joanne Christoff and Mary Veach. (Courtesy photo)

The Flat Rock Elementary School in Gladstone, which closed its doors many years ago, had a reputation as an excellent rural school. It housed almost 200 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, with 14 teachers. One year Flat Rock Elementary was awarded the Michigan Golden Apple Award, which is based on scores from the Michigan Education Assessment Test, or MEAP. The district consolidated with Gladstone in 1970. In March 2003, the Gladstone School Board unanimously voted to close Flat Rock Elementary, a move that would save the Gladstone Area School District an estimated $448,000. At that board meeting, more than 100 parents and citizens left once the motion to close the school was made. Mary Feldhusen, in an article from the Daily Press dated March 11, 2003, wrote that, “Superintendent Bill Pistulka recommended the school closure as one way to deal with an expected $700,000 shortfall in the district’s budget for the 2003-04 school year. ‘There’s savings in closing buildings,’ said Pistulka.”