School is set to start in a month on Bois Blanc Island, but a critical piece is missing: a teacher. 

The tiny, four-student schoolhouse is facing an uncertain future as the island community grapples with a statewide teacher shortage that is magnified by its remote location.

Just 34 square miles in size, the island is home to a mere 100 residents and Michigan's smallest school district. Its isolation, compounded by harsh winters accessible only by plane, makes recruiting educators a formidable challenge

'I tell everybody, 'We are remote Alaska without the mountains,' Christine Hasbrouck, a local grandparent and teacher aide, told Bridge Michigan.

Unlike its more populous neighbor, Mackinac Island, Bois Blanc's ferry service is suspended for much of the year, further isolating the community.

Enrollment at the K-8 school has fluctuated dramatically, dropping as low as two students in 2019.

Michigan once boasted nearly 7,000 one-room schoolhouses, but now only a handful remain, according to Rochelle Balkam, chair of the Michigan One Room Schoolhouse Association. The island's school, technically a two-room building, reflects this historic model.

Isolated from the mainland for much of the year, Bois Blanc residents face unique challenges. Groceries are stocked up before the ferry ceases operation, and winter travel relies on costly flights. Finding a teacher for the island's four students is an even greater hurdle.

'Our challenge now...not only because of the island, but just because (of) the way that the teachers in this world are now, there's such a lack of,' explains school board president Cindy Riker.

'Getting a seasoned teacher is probably out of the question.' 

Superintendent Angie McArthur reported on Thursday that the district is interviewing a potential teacher. 

However, this individual lacks the required teaching certification. To employ them, the district must seek a long-term substitute permit from the state. 

Additionally, the candidate would need to enroll in a teacher preparation program to remain at the school beyond a one-year term.

Michigan has acknowledged the statewide teacher shortage by funding initiatives to bolster the teaching workforce, such as 'grow-your-own' programs.

Bois Blanc's teacher wears many hats, serving as educator, counselor, principal, and even purchasing agent, according to school board president Riker.

The unique setting allows for personalized instruction, with teachers tailoring lesson plans to each student's pace.

School board member Amanda Beugly expressed her desire to make the island her family's permanent home, but said she won't let her fifth-grade son and a seventh-grade daughter, Andrea, return to school there if there isn't a qualified teacher to teach them.

'I do think it's such a challenging position that you do need to have that experience…because you don't have the same support structure in a one-room schoolhouse that you would have in a regular school where you have other teachers you could run to for help,' Beugly said.

Andrea nor her brother want to leave the island. They've been attending virtual school, but their mother does not want that to be permanent. 

Andrea's situation is complicated by the fact that she'll be a high schooler in just two years. Her options are limited.

Daily flights to the mainland would be impractical due to the high cost. Chartering a flight to Cheboygan, for instance, would set them back $222 per trip with a minimum of three passengers.

Hasbrouck, a former classroom aide, praised the school's previous teacher as 'phenomenal.' Susan Rowell, the teacher herself, echoed this sentiment, describing her teaching experience on the island as 'magical.'

Drouare is a longtime visitor to the island, but this is the first year her children will attend the local school. She said she believes 'a year or two [on the island] would just give the kids some perspective and … a different opportunity.'  

The family plans to reassess their situation this fall and decide whether to remain on the island or return to East Lansing, where Drouare's husband and 13-year-old son will stay.

If the Drouare family leaves and the Beugly family doesn't return, Hasbrouck's grandson could be the school's sole student.

Economic pressures and the trend towards school consolidation are threatening the survival of small schools. Bois Blanc Island School, with a budget of just $245,000, spends a staggering $61,000 per student—nearly triple the expenditure of Detroit Public Schools.

'I would love nothing more than (to) have 10 families with 25 kids move to this island — and have that be our problem,' Hasbrouck said. 

If the district can't find a suitable teacher, they may have to resort to a remote instructor with a classroom aide on-site, a less-than-ideal solution according to Superintendent McArthur.

Despite these challenges, Bois Blanc residents cherish their island lifestyle and hope to retain a full-time teacher. Drouare, who once snowmobiled to school herself, emphasized the unique experience island life offers.

Hasbrouck expressed her reluctance to homeschool. She believes the school provides essential structure and social learning beyond academics.

'That structure is part of what is important,' said Hasbrouck. 'They're learning more than just the academics. You're learning a routine, you're learning that this is the way life works.'