School superintendents in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties have joined a coalition backing the proposed Copperwood Mine, arguing that decades of job losses have hollowed out the communities their districts serve.

Alan Tulppo, superintendent of the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District, wrote in a letter supporting the project that the closures of the White Pine Mine, the Ontonagon paper mill and the Ojibway Correctional Facility left "a significant gap in the ability of residents to secure family-sustaining jobs." That gap, Tulppo wrote, is reflected in both population decline and an aging population.

Enrollment figures illustrate the challenges facing local schools.

State enrollment data from the Michigan School Almanac show the six traditional public school districts that make up Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD enrolled a combined 1,945 students in fiscal year 2025. Five of the six member districts lost between 12% and 19% of their students during the past decade.

Tulppo and Dan Martinson, superintendent of Ironwood Area Schools, are among more than 130 U.P. leaders, labor unions, business owners and residents who joined a new coalition announced Aug. 24 by InvestUP, the regional economic development organization, as WLUC first reported. Supporting the Copperwood project is a top priority for the group.

Economic hopes

InvestUP said the western U.P. has faced decades of economic hardship, including industry and hospital closures, declining K-12 populations and crumbling infrastructure. Marty Fittante, InvestUP's CEO, said the mine could allow young people to stay home for the first time in a generation, according to Bridge Michigan reporting published in October 2024.

The Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD said it supports development of a "safe, modern, environmentally and socially responsible mine" and believes Copperwood could bring "significant improvement to the economy of the area."

On Aug. 25, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved a $44.97 million infrastructure grant to Copperwood Resources Inc., a Highland Copper subsidiary, in a 7–2 vote. It separately approved a $5.03 million grant to the Gogebic County Road Commission unanimously.

Highland Copper has pitched Copperwood as a $425 million project that would create 380 direct jobs paying $80,000 to $120,000 a year over an 11-year lifespan, according to MLive. That pay range is roughly double the area's $41,000 median wage. The company said it needs state dollars for the mine to be viable.

Ryan Stern of the Michigan Building & Construction Trades Council told the Strategic Fund board the impact could extend well beyond the mine. "It provides hope that residents can live and work in their community, that 18- to 25-year-olds that are currently our number one export don't have to leave," Stern said, according to WZMQ.

Project opposition

The project has faced resistance. Environmental groups and indigenous tribes have raised concerns about the mine's proximity to Lake Superior and the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Protect the Porkies filed an appeal in Ingham County Circuit Court on Sept. 15 challenging the $50 million award, according to WLUC.

Uncertainty also remains around the project's scope.

Highland Copper said it plans to revise project costs by March of 2027 and is considering a smaller facility, according to EUP News. Whether the 380-job target will hold is unclear. The state said it would reduce the grant if overall investment and job creation targets decline.

Highland Copper said it is preparing to start construction in 2028, a year after releasing an updated feasibility study, EUP News reported. The grant deal requires the company to show $150 million in additional financing by spring 2028 and prove it created 380 jobs by March 31, 2033.