A former Rite Aid in Jenison reopens as a school for young adults with disabilities

JENISON, Mich. — A former Rite Aid on Port Sheldon Street has reopened as the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s newest building for Young Adult Services, its program for students with disabilities ages 18 to 26.

Students, staff, district leaders and area superintendents gathered outside the Georgetown Township building for a ribbon cutting late last month, the Grand Haven Tribune reported. The district bought the property in December 2024 for just over $1.6 million, WGVU News reported, and paid for the project through its budget, according to the Tribune.

The building will serve about 75 students from Allendale, Coopersville, Hudsonville and Jenison, according to WGVU. In this part of the county, the program had operated from two sites, in Hudsonville and Coopersville, the Tribune reported. The district also runs Young Adult Services buildings in Grand Haven and Holland.

“This part of the county is growing fast and we were out of space,” John Koerner, the program’s director, told the Tribune. “So in the spirit of our uniqueness, we decided to buy and repurpose a Rite Aid.”

Christopher Lamer, the district’s chief financial officer, recalled walking through the store with Koerner after the district bought it. “All the shelves were still there, the music was still playing, (and) all the lights were on, but everything was cleared off the shelves,” he told the Tribune.

Inside the renovated building are eight classrooms and a secured entrance, the two reports said; the building also gets plenty of natural light, and its halls and doorways were widened to make room for wheelchairs. Students learn to prepare meals in an accessible kitchen and to do laundry, and a life skills room has exercise equipment and a Murphy bed for practicing making a bed at home, the Tribune reported.

Kyle Mayer, the district’s superintendent, said the site was chosen because it is surrounded by businesses. “Students don’t come to this facility and stay here all day,” he told the Tribune. “We’re very much outward bound in the community, working with employers to help these young adults get jobs, gain independence, and become employable.”

Paige Elliott, a student who spoke at the ceremony through a communication device, said the new building “feels safe to be in,” according to the Tribune.

Sources:
Lauren Formosa, Grand Haven Tribune, “OAISD celebrates new Young Adult Services facility,” Oct. 1, 2026, https://www.grandhaventribune.com/news/education/oaisd-celebrates-new-young-adult-services-facility/article_e3908db4-5907-5a4b-b6f0-ac5507551dcd.html
David Limbaugh, WGVU News, “Ottawa Area Intermediate School District opens new Young Adult Services facility in Jenison,” Oct. 5, 2026, https://www.wgvunews.org/news/2026-10-05/ottawa-area-intermediate-school-district-opens-new-young-adult-services-facility-in-jenison
Image: AI-generated illustration by The Mitten Daily.

Georgetown Township

Tags: Georgetown Township · Community · Schools · Business · School Board