GHAPS School Board Approves Mary A. White Transition Plan

Grand Haven, MI – March 11, 2025 – During Monday night’s Grand Haven Area Public Schools (GHAPS) Board of Education meeting, the board voted 5-2 to approve the district’s recently announced plan to consolidate its seven elementary buildings into six and convert Mary A. White Elementary into an early childhood center. The move comes in response to enrollment that has declined by roughly 1,000 students over the past ten years and is projected to continue over the next five. 

Public comment lasted well into the evening. Below is a snippet.

Following the approved plan, current Mary A. White students will be welcomed into one of three schools next year based on their home address. Current Mary A. White families will also be granted first priority in the district’s School of Choice process if they wish to attend a different GHAPS school. The new early childhood center will host the district’s Preschool Development Program (PDP) and Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), along with the district’s Young Fives and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs on the site of Mary A. White Elementary beginning next school year.

“This decision has weighed heavily on everyone, from our students and staff to our school board and members of the community,” Superintendent Kristin Perkowski shared.

“We have amazing schools in Grand Haven, and Mary A. White is no exception,” Perkowski said. “We are proud of everything the staff, students, and families have accomplished  together, and we are committed to working with them to make this a smooth transition.”

Perkowski added that while redistricting and consolidations are never easy, the approved plan will help the district balance its budget while responding to several community needs that have been heard through community meetings and input sessions, staff workshops, and building visits dating back to July.

“Since the start of this school year, we have continued to hear from our community about the need for expanded and improved early childhood programming, a deeper focus on nature-based learning, and kindergarten readiness,” Perkowski said. “This plan allows GHAPS to prioritize those needs along with fiscally responsible spending so we can continue to provide high-quality learning experiences for students.”