ALR Educational Health Services is expanding from Niles into Buchanan, moving into the former Stark Elementary School.
The nursing school currently enrolls 30 to 40 students in Niles. Director Dr. Ayana Redding says the new location will provide more room for programs that didn’t fit in the current building.
“That school is beautiful and it still has a lot of life left. I thought it would be a great idea just to convert an old elementary school into a nursing college and allied health,” Redding said. Contractors are renovating the 20,000-square-foot building, which has been vacant for about a decade.
“Because the building is kind of old and it’s been abandoned 10 years, just getting it back to life. I think that is the biggest challenge,” Redding said. The timeline for opening is late this year or early 2026. Redding said a ribbon cutting is expected in January.
The school serves students from across Michigan and Indiana, with the licensed practical nurse program its most popular offering. Enrollment is open, and Redding said wait-lists are being formed as the move approaches.
In the meantime, the school is holding a liquidation sale to clear out desks and furniture left behind at Stark Elementary. The sale is scheduled for Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m.
ALR will keep its Niles campus while expanding to Buchanan.
