Gaylord schools report flat enrollment, CTE millage outreach and classroom upgrades

District officials told the Gaylord Community Schools Board that first-week enrollment stood at 2,716 students — the same count at this point last year — with roughly 20 pending enrollments that could slightly raise the total.

"2,716 students, which is exactly where we were at this point in time last year," Mr. Pearson said, noting the district is monitoring pending registrations and statewide demographic trends.

Mr. Pearson also briefed the board on a proposed ISD career and technical education (CTE) millage that will appear on ballots Nov. 4. He said public outreach will start Sept. 12 and described the millage as a floating rate "that cannot go any higher than 1 mill," with distribution dependent on an ISD formula tied to CTE program counts.

School leaders described several facility and program updates. South Maple installed interactive BenQ whiteboards in third-grade classrooms and installed keyless-entry badge systems to improve student movement and building access. North Ohio and South Maple teachers worked together over the summer to standardize report-card language and rubrics so families receive consistent information across schools.

The district also reported preschool improvements: a refreshed preschool space and playground, the addition of a fifth preschool classroom that is now full with a waiting list, and the possibility of opening a sixth classroom if demand continues. "We are full to capacity, and at the point of starting a waiting list," an elementary preschool representative said.

Other highlights included a restarted middle-school robotics program with about 20 interested students, and high-school improvements such as new commons-area televisions to share information and a paperless schedule-change process that processed more than 680 online requests in two days.

Administrators said they will share millage information districtwide and post updates on the district's Facebook page as outreach begins.