Chelsea school district : All posts

Millage renewals for Dexter, Chelsea and Milan schools on May 7 ballot

On May 7, Washtenaw County voters will be asked to renew millages for several county schools, including districts in Chelsea, Dexter and Milan.

The districts are asking voters to renew millages that will generate funds for each of the district’s general operating budgets. The millages, all roughly 18 mills, will be levied on non-homestead property, including industrial, commercial and some agriculture property, as well as “second homes,” but does not tax a family’s primary residence. Official ballot language can be found on the Washtenaw County website.

Chelsea Standard: Chelsea schools' bond refinancing saves district $1.4 million

Chelsea School District’s refinancing of its 2004 school building and site bonds is expected to save the district more than $1.4 million, according to a Chelsea Standard report.

Police boost patrols around schools in Ann Arbor area in wake of Connecticut shooting

A week after the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., and the day some people thought would be the end of the world, police increased their patrols around Washtenaw County schools in an attempt to put citizens at ease.

Police have been increasing their patrols around schools like Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. tragedy.

Reports of a lockdown at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor turned out to be untrue Friday, but the sight of police cars outside other Washtenaw County schools was not uncommon Friday.

mlive: Police: Chelsea student arrested, accused of making online threats against teacher

Police say a 16-year-old boy in the Chelsea School District was arrested and accused of making threats against a teacher online, MLive.com reports.

Updated: Fire set in bathroom causes Chelsea High School evacuation

Editor's note: This article has been updated with information from Chelsea Police Chief Ed Toth.

A fire that appeared to have been deliberately set caused a brief evacuation of Chelsea High School Thursday morning.

Chelsea update: New contract gives Chelsea teachers 2 percent raise

Teachers in the Chelsea School District will get a 2 percent raise under a new two-year contract the school board and the district’s teachers union have approved, Chelsea Update reported.

chelsea patch: New Chelsea superintendent putting focus on student achievement

Chelsea’s new superintendent says boosting student achievement in the school district will be one of his primary goals in his first year at the helm, Chelsea Patch reports.

Chelsea Standard: Chelsea school board may alter pay-to-play sports policy

After seeing participation rates drop, the Chelsea School District Board of Education will examine its pay-to-play sports policy at a meeting Aug. 13, the Chelsea Standard reported.

Chelsea Standard: Chelsea Superintendent David Killips to retire

Chelsea schools Superintendent David Killips will retire at the end of this school year, the Chelsea Standard reported.

Manchester and Chelsea schools to consolidate busing services

This story has been updated
One year after three school districts on the eastern side of Washtenaw County began consolidating busing services, two school districts on the western edge will begin doing the same.

Manchester Community Schools and the Chelsea School District will work together to combine their transportation services for the 2011-12 school year, according to Chelsea superintendent Dave Killips. Manchester transportation director Jeff Knasiak will be the transportation director for both districts, and mechanic services will be based out of Chelsea.

Incumbents, challengers seek seats on Chelsea and Dexter school boards

Four candidates are running for two seats on the Dexter school board in the May 3 election, while in Chelsea, two candidates are seeking one partial term, and an incumbent is running unopposed.

In Dexter, incumbents Dick Lundy and Julie Schumaker, are being challenged by Shawn Letwin and Amy Luczak for the four-year terms.

In Chelsea, current board Vice President Laurel L. McDevitt is running unopposed for a four-year term on the board, while Jon Bentley and Kathy Keinath are both running for a partial term that expires on June 30, 2013.

Consortium delivers career and technical education choices to Washtenaw County high school students

Garrett Rochowiak, Dexter, sautes an onion recently in the kitchen of the student-run restaurant The Hive at Saline High School. The culinary arts program is one of several vocational classes that are part of the South and West Washtenaw Consortium.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

Garrett Rochowiak is a senior at Dexter High School, but he spends part of each school day at Saline High School learning things like how to dice an onion and how to cook a hamburger on the grill. He also learns business basics essential for anyone planning a career in the restaurant or food service industry.

"We've learned about starches and proteins, and the temperatures they have to be cooked at," Rochowiak said.

Rochowiak, who also works at Metzger's German Restaurant in Scio Township and hopes to open his own restaurant one day, is a second-year student in culinary arts in the Career and Technical Education Program of the South and West Washtenaw Consortium, located at Saline High School.

Chelsea and Dexter students choosing from healthier school lunch options this year

Mill Creek Middle School students in Dexter finish up their lunch in the school cafeteria on a recent school day. The district is offering students healthy choices like salads and fresh fruit and has replaced fried chips and French fries with baked ones.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

Parents may not always have control over what their children are eating for lunch at school, but at least parents of Dexter and Chelsea students can take heart in knowing that students have more and healthier choices these days.

This year, students can choose items like specialty salads, healthy "grab and go" options like pre-wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fruit juice. Also sugared pop and candy has been removed from the middle and high schools.

At Dexter's Mill Creek Middle School, for example, daily choices include a salad bar that offers beets, chick peas, broccoli, and dried cherries as well as cheese-filled bread sticks, bagels, low fat yogurt, bananas, apples, carrot sticks, cookies and frozen treats like sherbet and ice cream bars. Sara Simmerman, food and nutrition services director for Dexter and Chelsea school districts, said a treat now and then is OK, as long as it doesn't replace foods that meet basic nutritional needs.

Simmerman said making sure students get a balanced meal is her first priority.

"There is no one food that provides enough nutrition," she said. "A salad has protein and veggies, but no fruit or milk, for example. "Kids love Classic Pizza. It's fresh, and has protein and grain. But you have to add milk, an apple, and a vegetable to make it a balanced meal."

Chelsea boys hockey scores late-game goal for 3-2 win over Flint Powers Catholic

The Chelsea High School boys hockey team's showdown with Flint Powers Catholic -- a rematch of last seasons' Division 3 state semifinals, where Powers won in a 4-0 shutout -- was living up to its billing after one period of play.

With 17 minutes in the books, both teams had eight shots and had three powerplay chances as the score was deadlocked at 1-1.

That even-keeled play continued all the way til the waning minutes, where -- this time around -- the Bulldogs delivered the knockout punch.

Chelsea school board approves $99,000 bid for wellness path

Chelsea school board members Monday night unanimously approved a bid of $99,007 from Cross Lake Construction of Horton to complete a wellness path in Chelsea that will link the school district to the Chelsea Community Hospital, the Silver Maples retirement community, St. Mary’s Church and city property.

When finished, the 8-foot-wide path will make a loop 0.83 miles long. A grant of $78,100 from the Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation will fund a portion of the project.

Beach Middle School students blend science, art to create decorations for Chelsea District Library

Janet Alford explains the process of making tiles to students at Beach Middle School in Chelsea.

Photo courtesy of Burrill Strong

A Beach Middle School project marrying science and art will eventually provide decorations for a new outdoor reading area at the Chelsea District Library.

Students used objects they found in nature to create patterns on clay tiles that will be glazed and fired. They will then adorn the columns of a new pergola in the outdoor reading area at the library.

Some Washtenaw County school districts see higher than projected numbers on count day

This story was updated to give Milan Area Schools and Lincoln Consolidated Schools' unaudited enrollment numbers.

Some Washtenaw County school districts lost fewer students than anticipated as the numbers were calculated during count day today, signaling good news for their annual budgets.

Ypsilanti Public Schools, where 3,792 students attended school today, was among those posting unaudited, less-than-anticipated losses. District spokeswoman Emma Jackson said the district thought it might lose students when it was forced to close two schools, but was pleasantly surprised.

Chelsea school enrollment drops slightly but exceeds budgeted number

Enrollment in Chelsea schools is down by 35 students, Superintendent David Killips told school board members Monday night.

The good news? That's still 14 students more than Chelsea School District officials included when they drew up the budget for this school year. State funds are allocated on a per-student basis.

Chelsea school district students will find reconfigured schools when classes start Tuesday

Chance Ireland, of Lockers, Bleachers and Cabinets of Georgia, applies a safety grip tape to a section of the new bleachers recently at South Meadows Elementary in Chelsea.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

South Meadows School will house third through fifth grades, while Beach Middle School will be home to grades six through eight.

Chelsea School District cuts number of bus stops to save money

Students in the Chelsea School District will have to travel farther to catch a bus this fall, now that the district has eliminated many bus stops, including all of those within the city limits.

“We’ve eliminated about 20 to 25 bus stops,” said Chris Frayer, bus transportation director. “We’ve dropped all our city bus stops.” The consolidation of stops is a cost-saving measure, one of several the district has taken this year.

She said that students within the city will walk to the school closest to them, where they will catch a transfer bus to the school they attend. The furthest any student has to walk is 0.9 miles.