While everyone is hopefully enjoying the beautiful summer months, the weeks we have between the end of one school year and beginning of another are perfect to prepare for the upcoming school year as well as work with the board to provide direction for the next few years.

Considering the passing of the bond and the local support we have received, the school community’s future has never been brighter. With just over a month to go before we welcome students back to school, I wanted to provide the community with an update on what’s happening in the Niles district.

Immediately after the school year ended, we took time to reflect on our practices and then began outlining our instructional and non-instructional activities for this coming fall.

A top priority for us after the passage of May’s bond is redesigning our facilities to meet the future needs of our students and community. While this process will be a lot of work, we are excited about, and grateful for, the wonderful opportunity the community has afforded us.

Though we will not begin breaking ground until the spring of 2016, we need to commence planning for the four years of construction that will renovate, remodel and improve every school in our district. It’s an exciting time in Niles Community Schools with a new year starting and so many revitalization plans on the horizon.

We can’t wait to get started!

In addition to changes related to the bond, we are making several enhancements to improve the district’s effectiveness and efficiency.

This school year we will be implementing a new math curriculum that is research based, engaging, and aligned with the 21st Century skills our children need to be college and career ready.

We also reorganized our central office staff to maximize efficiency and work toward decreasing the strain on our building staff so that they can focus on what matters most — improving student achievement.

In Niles, we are fortunate to have a board of education consisting of dedicated community members who are enthusiastic and supportive of our initiatives and programs. Much like our veteran, highly qualified staff, the board’s primary focus is on ensuring that student learning continues to improve each and every year. When we add into the mix this summer’s new group of energetic teachers, we have the ingredients for a prosperous school year.

Schools are at the heart of every community — the stronger the schools, the stronger the community. As such, I’m happy to report that throughout the upcoming school year, Niles Community Schools will continue working with a number of wonderful local organizations, including the Michigan College Access Network, United Way, YMCA, 4H, the Niles Library, Lake Michigan College, and Southwest Michigan College, among others, to strengthen our efforts and continue meeting the critical needs of our families.

With a strong commitment to academics, we will be providing additional college preparatory courses at the high school during the 2015-16 school year, as well as academic labs to assist struggling learners and better equip students for their future.

One of the things that separates Niles Community Schools from other districts is the diversity of offerings within our buildings, whether it is different learning models in our elementary schools, online learning for students who thrive in that setting or alternative education services for those who require greater individualized attention.

Fresh off the graduation of the first students to complete the New Tech program, we will be busy accommodating more learners than ever in that program due to a large enrollment and influx of school-of-choice students.

Like I said previously…it’s an exciting time in Niles.

As parents begin preparations for the 2015-16 school year, it should be noted that the district is being forced to increase the cost of student lunch by .10, per meal, at each of its schools. We also need to introduce a modest increase to adult lunch meals at each campus. While a .10 increase doesn’t seem like much, we understand that over the course of a school year it can add up and put a strain on already tight household budgets.

Unfortunately, the cost increase, which is taking place in many districts across Michigan, is outside of our control — the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 requires school food service providers to use a specific calculation to set food prices. In Niles, we have been fortunate that there have not been dramatic increases in lunch prices over the past four years. Still, if any families have questions or concerns regarding this matter and how it impacts their family, they are invited to contact my office.

Students will be back in school before we know it. We are prepared to begin this school year with passion, focus and excitement for education as we, as a community, have much to look forward to in the coming months and years.

I am anticipating another successful year for Niles Community Schools and I thank all of you for your continued support as we strive to produce the best education we can for our community’s students.

 

Dr. Dan Applegate is Superintendent at Niles Community Schools. He can be reached at the superintendent’s office at (269) 683-0732.