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Improvements, innovations greet students this school year

ESCANABA — While students have yet a month to prepare for the back to school blues, local school districts have been busy dealing with new technology, infrastructure improvements, and general preparations for the upcoming school year. Set to begin the last week of August, right before the Labor Day holiday, the 2022-2023 school year will have teachers shuffling back to their classrooms in a few short weeks to get the ball rolling on the academic front.

Many area high schools, however, have already welcomed students back with the start of athletic and other extracurricular activities in August.

“Traditionally, so many of your high schools are already back,” Doug Leisenring, Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (DSISD) superintendent, said. “All of the athletes are back and all of the bands are back, so we are really kind of back and running before Labor Day.”

Outside of the regularly scheduled cleaning that occurs throughout the summer months, sections of the DSISD have received technological updates as well. The Learning Center will be housing new touch-screen, interactive panels within all of their classrooms. These new panels, which will replace their 10 year-old counterparts, are an essential tool for students in the Learning Center.

“It was time to upgrade [the panels]. Touch screen technology is really important for us at the Learning Center,” Leisenring said. “They will be a nice thing to have, so we are really excited about that.”

Due to Governor Whitmer’s recent approval of the school aid fund budget, which saw a large increase correlating with each public school student within the state, the DSISD and other schools within the area have been able to push more money towards infrastructure products. At the DSISD, needed office space for social workers and aids has been a top priority.

“The school aid fund has put more money in for ISDs, providing more support for the local schools,” Leisenring said. “We have been hiring more social workers and more teachers, along with putting in more aids to help support the local schools.”

The past two school years have been difficult for educators and students, with pandemic protocols limiting the engagement and activities that can occur on school grounds. Darci Stenfors, principal of Escanaba High School, is looking forward to reinstating the long standing traditions and routines that define most students’ high school years.

“It truly feels like one of the best start-ups that we have had in awhile for a school year,” Stenfors said. “We are just excited to start off fresh, new, and have a warm welcoming place for everyone to come back to.”

In addition to standard cleaning, Escanaba High School has been undergoing some infrastructure improvements as well. With minor updates throughout the building, the school’s big project has been replacing old parking lots around the building. This project, according to Stenfors, has been overdue.

“We have had some parking lots that have been a little rough for a couple of years,” Stenfors said. “But I think that new features help build not just morale, but ownership in the building as well.”

Due to increased demand, staffing at Bark River-Harris Schools has been on the rise. In addition to expanding both their preschool program and student success department, teaching positions have been added to the high school as well. Additionally, an interventionist has been implemented into the student services department. This expansion will allow more elective courses, which are outside of a student’s required studies, to be taken during the fall.

“With the addition of these new staff members, we will be able to reduce class sizes and offer a variety of new elective courses to our high school students,” Jason Lockwood, Bark River-Harris Superintendent, said.

In addition to their standard classes, Bark River-Harris also grants students educational opportunities through dual enrollment, CTE courses, Early Middle College, and several extracurricular activities. These options allow students to select an educational path that best suits their individualized interests and needs.

Bark River-Harris has seen improvements in terms of technology over the summer months as well, with an upgraded computer network being a priority for administrators. Additionally, the schools will be phasing out their use of iPads in exchange for Chromebooks. Each student within the district will have their own device dedicated to school use.

Several infrastructure projects have taken place at Bark River-Harris as well.

“Bark River-Harris has made many improvements and upgrades to our campus ranging from additional security measures to new windows throughout the entire junior high and high school,” Lockwood said. “This summer we are resurfacing our track, renovating our main bathroom within the school … upgrading our heating system … and replacing older plumbing.”

The aforementioned school aid fund budget was expanded with the intent for money to be hyper-focused on student safety and mental health resources within public schools. Because of this, local school districts will spend time collaborating in August and September to try and figure out the most effective way to allocate that money to benefit all local children.

“Every district gets their own set of money, so they have a lot of flexibility with how they want to spend that money,” Leisenring said. “It is important for [school districts] to coordinate. We can pool that money to get more resources instead of duplicating things that we already have in place at the ISD.”

As schools continue to prepare for their students’ return, an issue continues to haunt public schools across the country: the substitute teacher shortage. Schools, ranging from pre-school through high school, are in constant need of substitutes. Whether it be a teacher, a secretary, or even a bus driver, all of these positions need to be filled throughout the school year.

Those interested in becoming a substitute can contact the ISD, where a secretary will assist them in setting up an account through EduStaff. After creating an account, users will have access to all of the sub openings in the local area. The website is not limited to a single school, which gives potential substitutes an opportunity to pick and choose their schedule.

“If people have ever thought about working with kids and they are interested, we can help them get set up to become a sub for all of the local schools,” Leisenring said.

The transition back into “school mode” can be difficult for students, especially those who have been staying up late and sleeping in past noon. In order to combat the back-to-school weariness, adjusting sleep schedules and re-establishing a daily routine are essential steps to a successful transition. Additionally, obtaining the right supplies, filling our back-to-school paper work, and keeping up with your school’s announcements are important for a successful start to the new year.

“We are looking forward to having everyone come back. It is one of those bright and shining moments, starting off the school year strong,” Stenfors said. “Hang in there, get involved, and we are looking forward to opening the doors and having everyone back in.”

For students at the DSISD, both Career and Technical Education high school students and those at the Learning Center, the first day of classes will be on Monday, August 29. While a date for an Open House has not been set yet, parents should keep an eye out for more information in the upcoming days.

Students attending Escanaba Area Public Schools, Bark River-Harris Schools, and Rapid River Public Schools will be making their return to the classroom on Monday, August 29 as well. Escanaba High School will be hosting their Open House on August 24 from 5 to 6 p.m. Bark River-Harris’ Open House will be Wednesday, August 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. Rapid River will hold their Open House on Wednesday, August 24 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The first day for students in Gladstone will be Tuesday, August 30, due to a scheduled Professional Development Day on Monday, August 29. Open House dates for all of the Gladstone Area Schools can be found on the schools’ Facebook page.

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