Fruitport board votes to join regional Schools of Choice plan for 2026–27

The Fruitport Community Schools Board of Education voted Feb. 9 to participate in the Muskegon-area Schools of Choice plan for the 2026–27 school year, including transfers under Section 105c that allow students to move to districts in contiguous intermediate school districts. The motion, Item 26-20, was made by Kris Cole and seconded by JB Meeuwenberg and carried 7-0.

Board members authorized the Board Secretary to sign the Schools of Choice resolution discussed at the meeting. The schools-of-choice application window for the 2026–27 year was cited elsewhere in the meeting minutes as May 1–30, 2026, for families seeking to apply by lottery when openings exist.

Superintendent Jason Kennedy and committee members had described the procedural mechanics of the regional plan during committee reports; no opposing motions or abstentions were recorded. The Board’s approval formalizes Fruitport’s participation in the MAISD-coordinated plan and establishes the administrative authority for execution of the required resolution.

Practical effect: the action permits Fruitport to accept nonresident students under the regional agreement and Section 105c transfers when space and district policy allow. Families who wish to apply and were not selected in prior lotteries must reapply during the May window; the district’s minutes note there is no separate appeals process within the schools-of-choice framework.

The Board’s vote followed routine committee briefings and was recorded as unanimous. The Board will publish the resolution and related enrollment instructions as part of the district’s public-facing materials following the meeting.