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School Closings in Grosse Pointe | Grosse Pointe, MI Patch At Poupard, which has about 304 students, about77%of students are African Americanand 64.8% are economically disadvantaged,according to state data records. Gretchen Whitmers directive to schools, labeled "2020-2021 Return to School Roadmap," doesnt forbid face-to-face learning at least not yet although it requires each district to prepare a COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan. Around a dozen parents and children protested the move Monday night, outside the planned school board meeting. "You do have the power, and you can influence how things are implemented.". What a mess, Jacob said. Administrators have told the board of the recommendation and the reasons for it,Dean said. In a 6-1 vote Monday, the Grosse Pointe Public Schools Board of Education adopted new COVID-19 protocols that lowered the distance for "close contact" between students from six feet to three. The school board voted to close that school back in June. Who wants to do this? board vice president Margaret Weertz said of having to close schools. Also closed according. Board memberCindy Pangborntried to get the board to delay the vote on both the reconfiguration and the closing of the schools. Those details includethe layout of the fifth- and sixth-gradeclasses in the middle schools, course structures and other matters, he said. "Diversity is being invited into the room," he said. College Bound and Skilled Trades Included. Andrea Daniell, a mother of two in the district, including one who attends Trombly, said she was disappointed, but not surprised. On Twitter @jwisely, Former Detroit school official seeks $41,193 payout for unused vacation days, These 15 Michigan school districts have worst teacher-student racial gap, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The foundation can take in private donations to the public schools. Rebecca Golden . Weve tried to be a little bit open this summer but those efforts backfired, said Deputy Superintendent Jon Dean. Poupard, which is a predominantly African American school,is 500 feet from Interstate 94, board president BrianSummerfield said. Curious who the best teachers in Michigan are? "But it also has a legacy and history of bigotry and exclusion.". Fouryears ago, Ferndale Public Schools merged two elementary schoolsin an attempt to desegregate classrooms and create a level education field for its youngest students. Royal Oak Middle School asked police to investigate threatening social media comments against the school. Reconfiguration is needed to prevent further cuts to this district, board member Christopher Profeta said. These changes are coming up in the fall of 2020. "We can always use more help. Site Map. "This will be a big transition with many changes that will have a lasting impact. "But they are driven by their own mindset? The Detroit News View Comments 0:00 0:57 Grosse Pointe A civil rights organization is reviewing a decision by the Grosse Pointe Public Schools' board of education to close two. Her motion failed. We are owed that as a community and as parents whose school will be closed soon.. A hearing to approve recall petition languageis scheduled for Wednesday in Detroit. Building closures or grade reconfigurations will not occur before the 2020-21 school year. Several board members have been targeted for recallas the result of the school reconfiguration thatstems from declining enrollment K-12. District residents pushed back against the proposed budget cuts during a nine-hour board meeting. Board members insisted that the topic was discussed before the vote. On Tuesday, Arbulu saidhe was disappointed the board chose to close schools and reconfigure the district instead of researchingissues further and listening to concerns about the impact of both decisions have on young children, "We disagree with the board'sdecision," Arbulu said. Ann Arbor has made this decision. Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236. Allison Jacob and her husband just moved to a house in Grosse Pointe Farms thats in walking distance of Brownell Middle School. But Testa said the process was mismanaged by the administration and that the board didnt push back enough. Staff Login. With each student equal to around $10,000 in school revenue,the district's average 100-student drop peryear is $1 million lost. This is the first time I have had a piece of paper with information and numbers on it.". It's down to around 6,500 now, and with a charter school in the planning stages and no end to the. Several police officers were present in the back of the auditorium. Grosse Pointe votes to close 2 elementary schools - Detroit Free Press Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Niehaus told the crowd of about 100 people Thursday that whenever a district adds or subtracts from its building stock, school boundaries change. Here children grow up within walking distance of great schools and safe parks. Summerfield saidthe district might be the last "mature district" in Metro Detroit to go through the painful process of closing schools due to a declining student population. Kids like to snack, and theyre sitting at home, Murphy said. Cynthia M. Douglas, president of the NAACP chapter for Grosse Pointes/Harper Woods, said on Tuesday she was disappointed with the decision to close the schools and to not take the advice of theMichigan Department of Civil Rightsto hold off on adecisionamid allegations of racial bias. As far as moving ahead, Summerfield said the district has a lot of work to do to transform into a K-4 and 5-8 district. "Not only do we have a declining birth rate but we also have a declining population across the state of Michigan," he said. The district will host more town halls through May to gather community input on the reconfiguration work of the committee. Summerfield saidhe has no idea who or what group is behind the recall. The percentage of residents holding four-year or higher degrees has been increasing in the U.S. It would include not onlyto face-to-face participation in classrooms but also in sports and other after-school activities, officials have said. They say that adds up to about a million dollars less in state funding each year. Find out quickly below if snow, cold or other weather emergencies is causing winter snow delays or closings at your school in Grosse Pointe. "This has been rough. Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236. Grosse Pointe School Delay and Closings Media Stations and links. Nobody's happy about closing schools," Lee said. "This community is at a crossroad. I don't think they have done their due diligence. According to Friday's planin the "Letter from Superintendent" from the Grosse Pointe Public Schools, teachers will arrange for a "return to some moderated version of in-person small group instruction opportunities soon after the start of the school year" for special-need students, including at-risk students, those in special education programs and "our youngest students. And you dont take their recommendation when you call them in to do this. School Delays And Closing - AmericanTowns.com He said there's a difference between diversity and inclusion. The board of education also will not consider Schools of Choice, an option to open its doors to neighboring school districts' studentsand their per-pupil foundation grant from the state, school officials said. The Grosse Pointe Board of Education is scheduled to meet Aug. 10 to vote on the plan. NAACP reviewing Grosse Pointe school closure decision - The Detroit News Another board member, Dr. Christopher Lee, also thanked Arbulu for coming to the meeting, but questioned his findings. Enrollment is forecast to drop another 10% through 2025in southeast Michigan. 8 /10. Here's how its changed in Wayne County. Grosse Pointe to close 2 elementary schools, move 5th graders to middle school; There are a number of concerns, and parents tell 7 . I dont know if a delay would have made a difference," Douglas said of Monday night. More than 200 people attended the board's meeting at which severalspeakers urged the board to make a decision, saying the time hadcome to close schools that are half filledand move forward. 1 weather alerts 1 closings/delays . GROSSE POINTE, Mich. (WXYZ) Parents of students going to Grosse Pointe Public Schools are pleading with the school to reconsider their plans to consolidate next school year. That's a plan in which students rotate between attending in person and studying at home, allowing greater social distancing during the transition. Seventh and eighth graders from Pierce Middle School earn 32 regional awards in the 2018 Scholastic Art and Writing competition. GROSSE POINTE, Mich. Last year, 218 students left the Grosse Pointe School District. "I think the administration needs to move quickly with implementation plans and provide other details we left aside while we were trying to determine which configuration to gowith," Summerfield said. Grosse Pointe Farms The Grosse Pointe board of education is closing two elementary schools and approved a K-4 and 5-8 reconfiguration for the district Monday night in a controversial downsizing plan. "There is so much turmoil. Parents gathered recently hoping to talk the district officials out of closing. Our District / Homepage - Grosse Pointe Public School System I wish they all stated what their reasoning was to close the school, Hannigan said. Edward Cardenas, Patch Staff Posted Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 11:14 am. ", MORE:Michigan athletics COVID-19 update: Nine more test positive in latest round of testing, Contact Bill Laitner: blaitner@freepress.com, New survey reveals how Michiganders feel about masks, Whitmer, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Check frequently for updated information on school delays, early dismissals, school closings, and school cancellations in Grosse Pointe Michigan due to winter and inclement weather, as well as other emergencies related to Grosse Pointe & the surrounding Wayne County MI area. Sean McCarroll said the Grosse Pointe Public Schools Board of Education ignored teachers when it revised the districts COVID-19 protocols. A student from Grosse Pointe recently received her diploma from The Ethel Walker School in Connecticut. On June 6, Genevieve Tusa, a Grosse Pointe Farms lawyer, filed recall petitions with the Wayne County Election Commission targeting school board treasurer Judy Gafa as well as Abke and Profeta. The Grosse Pointes'schools are not alone. 100+ Grosse Pointe Public School teachers call in sick to protest AK-6 and 7-12 configuration also will not be considered, Summerfield said. "This year, our new resident student enrollment is 50 students greater than our previous high over the past five years. Anyone could have made the motion and inserted the words of the school," Summerfield said. Niehaus said the district began talks on closure preparations at its last meeting and has a lengthy list of ideas to consider. You can reach any principal in the Gr osse Pointe Public School System by phone or email, in addition to meeting with them in person. "Five hundred feet is ridiculouslyclose.". Its frightening. The idea is highly unpopular with parents. Protests over Grosse Pointe Public Schools changes. "It is our only Title 1 school," Dean said. School Is Canceled, But Play And Wrestling Tourney Will Go On. Neither high school will be closed and high school boundaries will not change. Where Can I Find Affordable Landscaping Services In Grosse Pointe. Grosse Pointe schools don't accept students from other districts through schools of choice, a system some districts have used to boost decliningenrollment. "What we need to pay attention to are the internalized cultural beliefs, shaped by history, dominant culture racial isolation, structural segregation that produces 'us versusthem' mindsets," Arbulu said. Each of the proposed options detailednew school configurations, including where students from a closed school would be routed and financial savings including land value, bond savings and operational savings. Mike Calin, a father of two daughters ages 8 and 10, is leading that charge. He and his staff held listening sessions in the district, at the district's request, and found people who felt their opinions were not considered. Emergency School Closing Procedure; English as a Second Language; Enrollment; . See how FAFSA applications changed for Grosse Pointe area high schools. Jon Dean, deputy superintendent of educational services, said because two other north-end elementary schools, Ferry and Monteith, each can hold 600 kids, the district does not recommend closing those schoolsbecause there is not enough room in the other elementary schools to move students. No decisions were made Thursday night about school closures, but officials presented their ideas to a Blue Ribbon Committee of parents, school officials and local taxpayers as the groupand district attempt to help the school board address long-declining enrollment. In Grosse Pointe, students return to school after Labor Day, on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Citing findings from four public listening sessions and written comments from parents and community members, Arbulu told the district last week that the community perceives that the process for deciding the fate of the schools "lacked transparency" and the "effective involvement" of the people most impacted by the reconfiguration. The Grosse Pointe Public School System is holding town hall meetingsin April and Mayto discuss its reconfiguration proposals. Staff Login. Among the recommendations were to considerclosing a middle school instead of closing one or more elementary schools and retaining the current grade configuration, and adopting a racial equity lens to guide the decision-making on reconfiguration. Parents pleading with Grosse Pointe Public Schools to reconsider With up to eleven inches of snow expected, Grosse Pointe Public Schools announced Fridays closing Thursday night. The Grosse Pointe Academy has announced its schedule for the 2018 Summer Camp on its lakefront campus. And come up with a better plan that does not tear apart our community, Pangborn said. ", More:Video with racist slurs surfaces in Grosse Pointes amid school closure tensions. Emergency School Closing Procedure; English as a Second Language; Enrollment; . Where Can I Find Affordable Landscaping Services In Grosse Pointe. Yet, this fallher children, ages 10 and 13,can walk outside to view the school that they cant attend. There is no question in my mind. As a fourth-grader, the boy was enjoying his final year at Mason Elementary until last spring, when the school closed for the pandemic, Murphy said. Others, such as MikeTesta, a 1994 graduate of the district,believe the district will need new ideas and programs to boost enrollment. So involvement of our community, of our building, of our students, and when we heal, we have positive conversations about what our needs are," Niehaus said. Countless parents and students who were hoping that schools would reopen this fall are hearing just the opposite, as key districts announcetheyll stick with online teaching. Grosse Pointe School Board Approves $4.6M In Budget Cuts, Grosse Pointe Woods Woman Charged In Crash That Killed Fraser Teacher, Bus Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Grosse Pointe Park Woman, College Planning and Financial Aid Webinar, Northern Lights Possible In MI: When And Where To See Them, $1.5M Winning Lottery Ticket Sold In Oakland County, New Dogs, Cats, Pets Up For Adoption In The Grosse Pointe Area. We will also have our largest incoming kindergarten class in recent memory starting school in the fall," he said. School Contact Information / School Directory - Grosse Pointe Public ", Contact John Wisely: 313-222-6825 or jwisely@freepress.com. Elementary School Handbook; Emergency Safety Drills; Emergency School Closing Procedure; English as a Second Language; Enrollment; Extracurricular Code of Conduct; Fifth Grade Band & Orchestra; . "We are reviewing the decision, and we are talking to the executive board. It is the district's only Title 1 school. The middle school is just not socially appropriate for a fifth grader, my son is, was shocked at the vaping posters in the hallway, for example, theres just aspects of middle school that are not suitable for a 10- year-old," said Lauren Nowicki, Grosse Pointe Public Schools parent. "Its a terrible distraction for the community," Summerfield said "I think all threeof those members have worked hard and have had the best interest of students at heart.". Families in the Grosse Pointe Public Schools heard via email Friday that administrators recommendeda 100% remote environment, with no face-to-face learning or other activities. If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Select an Option Below: FAQs can be found on the ParentPortal login page. See how college aid applications changed for Grosse Pointe area high schools. Our Vision: One Inclusive Community Learning Together Our Mission: Cultivate. Lynn Weber said she has come to every meeting held by the district relatedto school closures and reconfigurations. Asked what the district will do tohelp heal the community, Niehaus said it will take people getting involved in the process. . "No one is going to be happy. MISTAR ParentPortal and StudentPortal / Home Page Heres a ranking that has the answers. But its the democratic process.". That, and other must-know dates for parents, students and teachers. College Planning and Financial Aid Webinar, Northern Lights Possible In MI: When And Where To See Them, $1.5M Winning Lottery Ticket Sold In Oakland County, New Dogs, Cats, Pets Up For Adoption In The Grosse Pointe Area. Board members debated one plan that would cut $4.6 million from the 2023-2024 budget. Both schools are expected to close by the 2020-21 school year. The process (for school closure) seemed to be flawed. "I mentioned how Grosse Pointe is fortunate with a strong sense of community, educated, financially prosperous and yet overwhelmingly white," said Dr.Agustin Arbulu, executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, who pleaded with the board to delay the vote. Grosse Pointe's schools are not alonel. "We will not get to those until the first week of August. Board president Brian Summerfield said on Tuesday the list of schools to close wasnarrowed to four choices before Monday's evening: Mason, Poupard, Trombly and Maire. We have to do this to get healthier to get to a better place.. The discussions to close schools comes after 15 years of declining enrollmentand a move to right-size the district withoutopening its doors to Schools of Choice students. "Itwill be stuff we will crystallize and bring to the board in August and early September. A company that specializes in heat maps hired by the district is working on a new boundary line map that should be ready by early fall, Summerfield said. he said. Ive heard Farmington and Dearborn also did" on Friday, he said. Niche released its latest school rankings just in time for back-to-school season. "I am encouraged there were board members who expressed interest for many of our recommendations, especiallyin their interest to provide assistanceto amelioratethe negative impact their action will take on students, on parents andon the community.". The district doesn't want to spend any of that money on a building that isgoing to close down eventually. With each student equal to around $10,000 in school revenue,the district's average 100-student drop peryear is $1 million lost. The plan is to close Poupard and Trombly Elementary Schools next school year and to move fifth graders into middle school something parents we spoke to are against. Grosse Pointe Woods School officials inthe Grosse Pointe Public School System are recommending the closure of either Poupard or Mason elementary schools in the north end of the district and the closure of Maire or Trombly elementary schools in the south end. The district boundary lines include all five Grosse Pointe communities and a portion of Harper Woods, a community that is 59% black. All begin at 6:30 p.m. 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. Pangborn had asked the board to delay the vote on reconfiguration to a K-4 elementary school and a 5-8 elementary school, saying the board should consider Arbulus comments and review his report. And our teachers teach better face-to-face. The deeply divided board debated for hours Tuesday night on how and where to implement the budget cuts. Its a struggle every day to get him to do it. "Poupard or Mason must be closed," Dean said. Students from Grosse Pointe North and South high schools are candidates to earn a National Merit Scholarship. It would also eliminate 15 teaching positions. The vote came after state civil rights department director Agustin Arbulu urged the board Monday night to first adopt a "racially conscious" approach to reconfiguring schools beforemakingany closure decision for the district. I'vegotten emails from concerned parents that the process did not allow for all the voices to be heard.". The semifinalists competed with more than 3 million students. The Grosse Pointes'schools are not alone. The ideaofclosing elementary schools and moving fifth-grade students into middle school buildings,two concepts under considerationby school officials, hasproduced emotional and oftencaustic debate in the communityand across social media. Check frequently for updated information on school delays, early dismissals, school closings, and school cancellations in Grosse Pointe Michigan due to winter and inclement weather, as well as other emergencies related to Grosse Pointe & the surrounding Wayne County MI area. "Butthe world is changing. In the 1970s the Grosse Pointe School Districthad nearly 12,000 students. Enrollment is forecast to drop another 10% through 2025in southeastern Michigan. "One thing I would like to do is to get an equity lensand go through each of these," Niehaus said. Winter Storm Related Closings in the Grosse Pointes | Grosse Pointe, MI Mike Murphy of Grosse Pointe Woods has a 10-year-old son in aGrosse Pointe school. Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236. We know that our kids learn better face-to-face. Operations savings range from $1.3 million to $1.9 million, and bond savings range from $9.1 million to $15.5 million. Enrollment is forecast to drop another 10% through 2025in southeastern Michigan. We want to return to that as soon as we can, he said. The district's peak population in recent years was in the2004-05 school year, whenabout 8,930 students attended. "I dont agree with the outcome as it doesnt fix the problem and likely future closures will be needed," he said. The Blue Ribbon Committee considered eight options offered by the district: Option A would close Mason and Barnes, and turn Kerby into an early childhood center (ECC), Option B would closePoupard and Barnes;convertKerby to an ECC, Option C would closeBarnes, Mason and Trombly;convertKerby to anECC, OptionD would close Barnes, Poupard and Trombly;convertKerby to an ECC, Option E would close Trombly and Mason;expand ECC at Barnes, Option F would close Trombly and Poupard, expand ECC at Barnes, Option G would close Maire, Mason and Trombly;expand ECC at Barnes, Option H would close Maire, Trombly and Poupard;expand ECC at Barnes. Grosse Pointe Farms The Grosse Pointe board of education is closing two elementary schools and approved a K-4 and 5-8 reconfiguration for the district Monday night in a controversial. The board proposed closing Poupard in the north end in Harper Woods and Trombly in the south end. The district has been using an equity adviser on contract for the last three years, Niehaus said, and will continue to use that person who comes to the district through Wayne RESA. ", 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper, voted Monday night to close Poupard Elementary School in Harper Woods and Trombly Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Park, Video with racist slurs surfaces in Grosse Pointes amid school closure tensions, theyears since the board voted to restructure its elementary schools. Grosse Pointe to close 2 elementary schools - WXYZ Channel 7 According to a recent statewide poll, 62% of Michiganders strongly or somewhat support closing schools and universities for the foreseeable future; and the University of Michigan suspended . It is becoming more diverse And with it comes changes and conversations which will make people uncomfortable.