Dear Families,

Welcome back to what is sure to be another great year in Highlander Nation. I hope you have all had a great and relaxing summer. 

In this edition of MacGregor's Message:

• Welcome back, students, families, and staff

• Board votes to place Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal on November Ballot

• Athletic ticket price change

• Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications

• New classroom technology installed over the summer

• Hiring Bus drivers and support staff

We cannot wait to welcome our students and staff back next week. There is a certain energy around the start of a new school year that is hard to explain. Our schools seem to come to life as staff and students return, buzzing with activity and excitement. If you have not already done so, please check out our Back to School webpage at HowellSchools.com/BackToSchool, where you will find all kinds of information for the start of the new school year. On that page, you will find our popular first-day-of-school signs. If you take photos of your child for the first day of school, we would love to share them on our Facebook page. Just send us a Facebook message with the photo. Please note that all of our schools and buildings will be closed on Monday, August 21, until 1 p.m. so all staff can attend a district-wide meeting. 

On Monday night, the Board of Education voted unanimously to place the Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal on the November 7 ballot. If approved, the bond would invest in all of the district's buildings with no expected tax rate increase. Currently, the district's tax rate is 5.5 mills, which is the lowest of any school district in Livingston County. If approved, the bond would provide $258 million to fund the highest priority improvements in each of the district's schools and focuses on five key areas:

• Safety & security - security cameras, bollards, building air quality, ADA upgrades, window blinds, door hardware, building access controls, life safety systems, and buses

• Learning environments - new Northwest Elementary and Southwest Elementary Schools at their current sites, additional learning space at Challenger Elementary School, major renovations at Highlander Way Middle School

• Teaching tools - classroom and student instructional technology and classroom furnishings

• Aging building infrastructure - pavement, asphalt, select roof replacements, flooring, lockers, upgrades to air conditioning, boilers and electrical systems for increased efficiency

• Community needs - new Community Center and new youth baseball and softball fields

We have created a webpage to share information on the Our Kids, Our Community, Our Future Bond Proposal, which can be found at HowellSchools.com/Bond. 

For the first time since its inception in 2008, the KLAA has increased ticket prices for high school athletic events. The new price is $6.00, a $1 increase over previous years. The price for middle school events will remain the same. All tickets purchased for events at Belleville, Brighton, Canton, John Glenn, Novi, Plymouth, Salem, and Wayne Memorial high schools must be made online. All other KLAA schools will accept cash or online purchases. You can purchase tickets to KLAA events online at gofan.co. Middle school events will remain cash-only at all KLAA schools. 

The State of Michigan has made school meals free for all students under the Michigan School Meals program. While school meals will be free for all students, it is still essential for qualifying families to complete a Free and Reduced Price School Meal Application. Completing an application may allow qualifying families to receive additional benefits such as reduced Chromebook fees, discounts on college admissions and academic tests, discounted home internet, and access to the Summer EBT program. Additionally, completing the application helps ensure the district receives the proper funding from several state and federal sources and programs. To learn more or to complete an application, please visit https://bit.ly/3BkO45d. 

This summer, our Technology Department has been busy installing over 400 new interactive displays in each classroom around the district. The interactive panels replace outdated ceiling projectors, many of which were well beyond their life expectancy. The installation of the interactive display panels represents a significant investment in our student's education. This technology will undoubtedly empower our teachers to deliver lessons that inspire, engage, and prepare our students to be future ready. The district's 2015 Technology funded the purchase of the interactive panels. With the purchase of the interactive panels and additional classroom technology, the funds from the 2015 Technology Bond are mostly exhausted.

We are currently hiring additional bus drivers and substitute drivers. During August, we will be offering a sign-on bonus of up to $5,000 for fully trained certified bus drivers, up to $3,000 for fully trained licensed bus drivers taking on substitute runs for at least 20 hours per week, and up to $2,000 for individuals who participate in the paid training we offer. Please help us spread the word about these limited-time incentives. Individuals interested in applying can do so at BeABusDriver.org.

The district has job openings for several support staff positions, including general and special education aides, food service staff, and early childhood and Kids Kare staff. Many of these positions offer the opportunity to work directly with students, offer a work schedule aligned with the school calendar, and include time off during school breaks. To view our open positions, please visit HowellSchools.com/Jobs.  

I wish you wonderful start to the school year.

Sincerely,

Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S.

Superintendent

Howell Public Schools