[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6630580,"mediaKeyId","2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3","parentId",2690591,"title","Board approves routine consent items, policy updates and facility/technology purchases; voters will get more bond information","audioSeconds",144,"startMs",6117000,"endMs",6261000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3&start=6117&end=6261","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3/thumbnail_6117000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6630580/Michigan/Board-approves-routine-consent-items-policy-updates-and-facilitytechnology-purchases-voters-will-get-more-bond-information","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630580-31d1ccb3e05353bcd07fb4f27891b3aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504096&Signature=DSkpp~jewt1uswjcD4wvCLHfSjg1qYxzovFdLmawnvxxE290dxNn87v7WrogvB8o1-afaKYyIXGR64QugZFkfpUoYpSHTHSFNck5w4xomnuzYQsVbRsrcAIbzIywE6NrC8qNZ7iZo8rf2K3jfdeZQPTzIkjWMKVOWKdHuZL3PSbueknGReEjH8m5ZXnLB6Xox5mMYI~T~5EwzokSjb7~9RmMuhCGL283bN9P7OYjVh8c8NoJ29J5McHvjakWE7OCQnK-P96Ll0AlT~NDLECk3bX8LbfLaSVC6R8gkBOlgEYnEKe8iobKouorepjfq7qgAQuBVHi7QkHacn~78HcBYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Midland Public Schools","date","2025-03-19T16:46:16.537Z","article","The Midland Public Schools Board of Education approved a series of routine and financial items at its March 17 meeting, including policy updates, a grant‑funded equipment purchase and a budget amendment that lists a planned purchase of a robotics facility.

Key votes and outcomes

- Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda (minutes, personnel recommendations, and bills) on a motion by Secretary Jen Ringgold, supported by Member Anne Horowitz; the chair said the motion carried.

- Policy updates (item 5.2): The board adopted revisions to multiple policies related to federal Title IX regulatory changes (policies listed in the agenda). Motion and support were recorded and the motion carried.

- Filter First bid (item 7.2): The board awarded the bid for bottle fillers and faucet filters to Aetna Supply Company of Grand Rapids for $194,456, to be paid from the Filter First Healthy Hydration Grant. Motion to approve was made by Ringgold and seconded by Treasurer Lauterbach; the motion carried.

- Budget amendment (20‑4‑25 amendment #1): The board approved a budget amendment that included several revenue and expenditure adjustments. Notably, the amendment shows a $4.5 million line item described as a predicted purchase and upgrades for a robotics building during the 2024–25 fiscal year; administration described this as a potential purchase of a facility to meet robotics needs and said they expected the cost to be significantly less than prior new‑construction estimates. The motion to approve the amendment was moved by Treasurer Lauterbach and supported by Member Craig; the motion carried.

- Acceptance of gifts (item 7.4): The board accepted a $5,000 donation for Midland Heights Robotics (swerve drive system robot control and electrical) from Huntington Bank. A motion to accept the funds carried. The meeting materials listed total gifts for information at $13,386.09.

- Closed session motions: The board moved into closed session under MCL 15.268, sections 8(1)(c) and 8(1)(h), for collective‑bargaining strategy and to consider written legal counsel opinions; roll call votes were taken and the motions passed (vote recorded as 6–0). The board returned from closed session and adjourned.

No ballot measure was voted on at the meeting. Several items in the budget amendment and the bond outreach remain subject to further board consideration and public discussion.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Midland Public Schools Board of Education Meeting March 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Midland Public Schools Board approved routine items, adopted Title IX‑related policy updates and authorized grant‑funded purchases and a budget amendment that includes a planned robotics facility purchase.","taxTitle","Midland Public Schools, School Boards, Michigan","taxId",38797,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630585,"Midland launches first-year ‘Teachers of Tomorrow’ course pairing high school students with mentor teachers",1182,1053000,2235000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3&start=1053&end=2235","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3/thumbnail_1053000.jpg","/articles/6630585/Michigan/Midland-launches-first-year-Teachers-of-Tomorrow-course-pairing-high-school-students-with-mentor-teachers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630585-712950c18af09e9c1c24ca43a2fe9fcb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504095&Signature=BD-BbR~dZ~w8Jai3IpGeGxBtI1O~3907SOJN0HbVfG1bcQC9klyIR5Q7Y8jGih~d2Z9xHgRnKrQQaGqYnQD0SUFkfjvT0ZmBGeuUMyDe0DTr250-oXLAyD0PhnNmda~BPdourbY~ziCqQsUFp5NWCumhRjspM3CttrUhFqJAWCSnxsOcXjg3ubjEQ0RWlCSGLmLSEpO-EKApRS6EUk9fNCtEJtowk9GRu8PQrGqXMT6f5ADZ1V3LI1uC~6V~UWteQnf0DncfhFZQu1MBC8Shx9bBmNAiOellmTeaAuNgdukHWO4rSZWICHU3GwE3lxVYKStF14c~eloRpp1ZFwqL3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Midland Public Schools described the first year of a new Teachers of Tomorrow course that places high school juniors and seniors in mentor classrooms three days a week and offers a combination of in‑class instruction and hands‑on experience at elementary and middle schools.

Teachers Chelsea Berg (Dow High) and Katie Stearns (Midland High) told the school board the course evolved from a successful club and is funded by the Future Proud Michigan Educators grant. The class meets sixth hour and students spend Tuesday–Thursday in mentor placements at elementary and middle schools; Fridays are used for debriefing and Mondays for reflection and journaling.

Stearns said initial interest was high: 46 students signed up at one point, but the program was narrowed to juniors and seniors for logistical reasons. She said one building’s final enrollment was 22 seniors; Berg said her section started with roughly 30 initial registrants and has about 14–15 remaining students after scheduling adjustments. Placement runs through early May, roughly a 13‑week mentor experience.

The curriculum draws from a state program and supplemental materials. Staff emphasized classroom culture, history of education, child‑development theories, social‑emotional learning and teaching methods; students participated in RISE training and attended the Michigan Educators Rising conference at Wayne State University.

Students who spoke to the board described hands‑on experience across grade levels, including reading to students, lesson planning and classroom management exposure. The presenters said they are exploring articulated college credit for the course and expect the class to strengthen the local teacher pipeline.

The item was an informational presentation (item 3.3); no board action was required.","Two Midland high schools launched a first-year Teachers of Tomorrow class, funded by the Future Proud Michigan Educators grant, that places juniors and seniors with mentor teachers three days a week and includes training, field trips and credit articulation planning.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630590,"Plymouth Elementary highlights PBIS program and a Title I‑funded book vending machine to boost positive behavior",517,370000,887000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3&start=370&end=887","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3/thumbnail_370000.jpg","/articles/6630590/Michigan/Plymouth-Elementary-highlights-PBIS-program-and-a-Title-Ifunded-book-vending-machine-to-boost-positive-behavior","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630590-81a9044e580f8aa869125d66f03a4a4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504095&Signature=loIRj8VK8bcarlpOqn1w9rTohbzq0j6P5JT4~PsrOUmn37cHQkRhJKH7cBqFuI6bIptdKy-CVCSr61W7jqqVDD3B6kTdc0i-ijKS6PB1r382MwJEGm8~lETZJcftLRNu-a2fHiGSdxybqZlvXh7v6eVNKBQTQnMKU1VqWx1SktlWA5SFia-Qu35vzVxLYPL9DHysMxaDjOaz6-LaKG1O033IPqp6TH8OdER0yqkNQb43EgH0vnpfVrVODH9YU3hd33N-Pv3x43ewAh~z4ulZ39Vea-BBp2AJd6lMtDvJYEBBE3cmiCON5qX8zjXwqEVUxmPCo8ZmOxbp2kvM9XvX7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Plymouth Elementary School principal Margaret Doan and family‑intervention specialist Erin Pung described the school’s two‑year effort to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), centered on “spirit tickets” and a book vending machine purchased with Title I funds and stocked by the school’s PTO.

Doan told the Midland Public Schools Board of Education that the ticket system recognizes students who demonstrate attributes such as caring, being principled, open‑mindedness, risk‑taking, communication and thinking. Staff members distribute tickets across the building; weekly winners from each grade draw a book from the vending machine using a special gold coin and receive a bookmark identifying them as a “Plymouth Spirit ticket winner.”

Erin Pung said the vending machine was purchased with Title I funding before the 2023–24 school year and that the PTO provides money to restock popular titles. “The vending machine has been a really nice incentive for the students,” she said, adding that students often stop in hallways to look at new books and recommend titles to peers.

Doan and Pung gave a concrete example of the program’s influence: after a child listened during art class, another student made an impromptu spirit ticket and gave it to the peer in recognition of their principled behavior. Doan said the moment showed students internalizing the program’s values and reinforcing them among peers.

Pung described the weekly and whole‑school reward process: grade‑level tickets are entered into weekly drawings (announced on the school announcements); undrawn tickets are added to a whole‑school collection that, when filled (roughly once a semester), triggers a schoolwide celebration such as a magician, “cider and cinema” or a movie day.

Doan told the board the program has increased student engagement and helped staff acknowledge positive behavior across multiple adult supervisors, including lunchtime and auxiliary staff. Both presenters thanked the board for the opportunity and invited questions.

No formal action was taken; the item was a Spotlight on Excellence presentation (item 3.2).","Plymouth Elementary presented its Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program centered on 'spirit tickets' and a book vending machine stocked with PTO and Title I funds; staff described weekly drawings, whole‑school rewards and examples of students recognizing positive behavior in peers.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630594,"Midland board details $285 million facility bond plan as residents raise questions about cost, capacity and priorities",1550,2259000,3809000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3&start=2259&end=3809","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2690591-692a81e209c937295b605744403d3ce3/thumbnail_2259000.jpg","/articles/6630594/Michigan/Midland-board-details-285-million-facility-bond-plan-as-residents-raise-questions-about-cost-capacity-and-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630594-1f31127cc912047cf355ec947492227b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504095&Signature=PpWVm3g21qlpJud6988NSQemnqkPLUCyqNfNviwERyHqCwAp-hFH3O~lCkISDPcRb9wAebotFve--I1H-aBlE9h1bO1oKSKD2GjBSLLgDmrHJvLudA7WNOl-jT0shqQp6XzZ2uWBEmTsqgtFBEl~hnkltGjXXsEWA8MfBCEyRiEv~3guFw7TtoaKfQ9lNwD9K3~V-kpmPVupetUYxma7kNj~9VNb2c0THWIR5MTM4xi4OXPRwzQLNnlqZB926xYmuc0yMvClJZo0bBZUF1LJS26qwWb4FHWYaJVkjvW9JDYE8-0k9ayqRmvzUgMvOdTp892cYSZjdEJkW82jr5B~Kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Midland Public Schools officials provided an update on a proposed facilities improvement bond, announced additional community meetings and asked residents to review detailed project materials online, while multiple residents used the public-comment period to oppose or question portions of the plan.

At the March 17 board meeting, Board President Phil Rausch said the district and administration had given “more than 30 presentations for community groups, parents, and staff” and described planned sessions on March 25 (in-person at Northeast Middle School Little Theater), March 27 (virtual) and April 15 (hybrid at the MPS administration center). He urged voters to “go to the source and get the facts.”

The proposal, discussed repeatedly during the public-comment period, was described in meeting materials as a $285 million bond. Several speakers questioned the total long-term cost when interest is included and the district’s assumptions about enrollment and building capacity.

“Central Park Elementary STEM School was the $201,525,000,000 dollar bond issue,” said resident Dave Romanesco, who said he will vote against the 2025 bond “for three reasons,” including concerns about academic proficiency at some schools and the size of the request. Joe Brandedes and other residents cited the district’s bond application materials filed with the state treasury and urged the board to clarify assumptions about interest rates, amortization and projected millage growth.

Resident Renita Banadis reviewed the district’s enrollment-and-capacity projections and said the plan’s estimated utilization rates would rise districtwide rather than fall. “We will be at a 94% utilization rate,” she said of the projected post-construction figure and asked why a new north-side elementary showing a 98% utilization rate was part of a proposal described as relieving crowding.

Other commenters raised related fiscal concerns and program priorities. Bill Domina and Melissa Bucek said the bond’s spending on non‑mandatory programming — including expanded universal prekindergarten under the bond proposal — needed clearer cost and enrollment analysis; Domina urged a “more streamlined bond.” Rose Roberts and other residents raised maintenance and cleanliness issues in specific schools and asked for greater transparency on operating costs and contracts.

School officials acknowledged the criticisms and emphasized outreach and transparency. In his update, Rausch directed residents to the bond website for project descriptions, financial breakdowns and FAQs, and said printed copies of materials were available at meetings. Board and administrative members said they would continue public sessions and one‑on‑one conversations to answer questions.

The board did not take a final vote on the bond at the March 17 meeting. Rausch and other board members said the update was intended to ensure community members could review work orders, rates and projected tax impacts before a future vote.

The board’s update and the public comments spanned several parts of the meeting, including the formal update (item 3.4) and the public-comment period. The district scheduled additional informational sessions and posted materials online for voters to review ahead of any ballot action.","Board members outlined community outreach and upcoming informational sessions for a proposed $285 million facilities bond; several residents urged changes to the proposal, questioned long-term costs and raised concerns about program trade-offs such as preschool and building utilization.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves routine consent items, policy updates and facility/technology purchases; voters will get more bond information

Midland launches first-year ‘Teachers of Tomorrow’ course pairing high school students with mentor teachers

Plymouth Elementary highlights PBIS program and a Title I‑funded book vending machine to boost positive behavior

Midland board details $285 million facility bond plan as residents raise questions about cost, capacity and priorities