Schools

Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education voted Monday to discontinue the lease at the former Fawn River School and prepare the property for sale. Ray Sterling, director of finance for the district, said it was recommended by the finance committee not to renew the lease at the property for the 2019-20 school year. That lease expires June 30, at which time the …

After 22 years working in education, Sturgis High School Principal Ron Ehlers has announced he is retiring. His last day will be June 30. District officials said Ehlers has been a strong advocate for students. They hope to fill the position by July 1, as it was posted last week internally and externally. The selection process will include application screening, …

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to forgive Michigan schools from rescheduling up to four snow days that occurred during an artic deep freeze in which she declared a state of emergency. The law will let schools not count the Jan. 29-Feb. 1 period toward a cap on snow days. State law forgives districts from making up six days that …

Two St. Joseph County school districts were given a green light by their respective voters Tuesday, as ballot requests in White Pigeon and Sturgis school districts were successful. Unofficial results show White Pigeon’s request for renewal of 1 mill – originally approved in 2014 – passed with little room to spare, 263 yes votes to 254 opposed. White Pigeon Community …

Michigan’s Board of Education has selected Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Michael Rice to be the next state superintendent. The board voted 5-3 for Rice on Tuesday after conducting final interviews with three candidates. Once a contract is signed, he will lead the state Department of Education, starting in July and making $216,000 a year. Board members say they liked Rice’s …

Reid Leaverton is this year’s recipient of the E.J. Shaheen Award, which was presented during Friday’s Glen Oaks Community College commencement. Leaverton teaches classes and oversees the new agricultural equipment technology program at the college. Born and raised in San Diego, Leaverton served as president of his high school’s FFA Chapter. Glen Oaks hired Leaverton in 2017, and in his two short …

After a year and a half of planning and eight months of construction, Glen Oaks Community College is staging the reveal of its new, $2.2 million grand concourse. The day-long celebration starts at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Later, the school will offer lunch to its students to showcase some of the new menu options now available through the GO Café. Then, …

Nursing school graduates at Glen Oaks Community College are setting the pace in scores for the National Nursing Board Examinations, according to statistics reported by the National Council State Board of Nursing. According to William Lederman, Glen Oaks director of nursing, test scores for 2018 show that licensed practical nurses from Glen Oaks scored a 96.42 percent average on their …

Glen Oaks Community College Board of Trustees voted last week to increase tuition and fees for the 2019-20 year Bruce Zakrzewski, dean of finance, said a 3 percent tuition increase and a $1 increase on the student activity fee will be imposed beginning in the fall. There will be some changes to course fees, particularly in nursing, he added. With …

Trine University is enhancing and expanding its online degree programs with the launch of TrineOnline, a new approach designed to be convenient and cost-effective for students seeking to complete an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree. The launch comes a month after Trine was recognized by US News and World Report in its annual listing of Best Online Programs. TrineOnline will …