Grand Haven, MI (WGHN) – Grand Haven School Board met last Friday on a retreat and received several departmental updates from district administrators and took time to discuss the board’s roles, responsibilities, and goals.
They are as follows:
- In a 7-0 vote, the board approved a contract with West Michigan Janitorial, which will begin recruiting and employing custodial staff for the district. Michael MacDonald, the district’s Executive Director of Business and Finance, explained that no current staff will be impacted by the move, but that all current and future openings will be hired through the third-party provider through the process of attrition.
- The board also unanimously approved the hiring of the district’s new Director of Early Learning Services, Erica Kelly. Mrs. Kelly, currently a Voyager teacher at Ferry-Voyager Elementary, will lead the new nature-based early learning center at Mary A. White next school year.
- In the board’s final vote of the night, it approved the purchase of a software program called Board Book Premiere. The $3,000 annual service will provide the district, the board, and the public with an easy-to-use platform that will host board meeting agendas, minutes, supporting documents and more.
- Sean West, the GHAPS Director of Food Services, shared that the district has served nearly 500,000 meals so far this school year and is on track to exceed the number of meals served last school year. He added that one in six Michigan children are food insecure and that school nutrition play an important role in bridging that gap so that students can remain focused while in school. Anyone interested in joining the district’s wellness committee is encouraged to complete a form on the dining services page of the district’s website at GHAPS.org or email wests@ghaps.org.
- GHAPS Director of Communications and Marketing, Nate Hunt, provided an update on a new app and redesigned website that he said should be ready to roll out over the summer so it is fully operational in time for the next school year. Hunt said the upgraded tools are expected to improve communication with families and access to information like news, events, and resources.
- In an update on the district’s Strategic Planning process, Superintendent Kristin Perkowski shared that the Strategic Plan Working Group has narrowed the focus of the plan down to three key themes:
- Pathways that prepare students for their futures.
- Fiscal responsibility for a sustainable tomorrow.
- And GHAPS as a trusted community partner.
- Perkowski shared that the group will meet again later this week to begin building out the goals and strategies that will shape the final strategic plan, which will be presented to the board and the community in June. For more information, visit www,GHAPS.org/strategicplan.
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