GPPSS Update

The meeting Monday, May 22 was long and important as it set the direction for final budget development. It started with the 39th annual Distinguished Volunteers recognition. Please help us congratulate this year's class pictured above.

The Board voted to include items 5.1-5.7 that had been reviewed at the previous board meeting into a consent agenda and that passed 7-0. The consent agenda included past meeting minutes, the HR report, a resolution to honor district retirees, the purchase of curricular materials for 7th-12th World Languages and Y5-5th Math and Word Study, and the North trip to Spain.

Following discussion, the second budget amendment GAAA#2 passed 7-0.

The Board then voted 7-0 not to send a representative to vote on the two Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) board candidates running for two open positions. Our local district vote on the WRESA budget also passed 7-0. A resolution brought forward by Trustees St. John, Worden and Cotton to wear orange Friday June 2 for gun violence awareness day also passed 6-1. This was an initiative brought to the board's attention by a high school student.

Previewed for a vote June 12 were:

• a resolution to revise Board bylaw 1.18 to allow the Board President to create standing or ad hoc committees
• South Industrial Arts building projects including the IA doors (not to exceed $139,480 for exterior doors from the bond fund) and to move forward with a plan for permanent heat that will include $30,000 in architecture/engineering fees, $100,000 in temporary conditioning from the general fund, and an anticipated cost of $500,000 from the sinking fund for the permanent solution. If that does not pass, the building will be permanently closed and discussions regarding demolition will ensue.
• a resolution to layoff teaching staff in line with enrollment and student schedule selections
• the presentation on the engagement study brought forward by the Community Engagement Committee to contract with Escalent to conduct an evaluation of households who have left or not come to the district in the past 2-3 years was not made last night. This would include 3-5 phone interviews ($4,000), 100-150 email surveys ($6,000), and possibly a focus group of 5-6 participants ($3,500).

A large portion of the meeting was dedicated to budget development discussions. Trustee Brumbaugh brought forward a resolution for Strategic Review of District Operations. Trustees Papas and Cotton brought forward Trustee-Initiated Budget Adjustments; pages 92-93 of the link detail how they would recommend getting to a $5 million reduction in the budget with the goal of being structurally balanced without the use of fund equity. After those presentations, there was opportunity for public comment. There were 96 registered speakers. Then Dr. Dean suggested the board have a work group of trustees develop a compromise budget between the two proposals by Wednesday, so the administration has time to develop a budget document in line with their guidance. Trustees Brumbaugh and Cotton will lead that effort and report back to the full board and community.

That budget document will be available for preview June 1, and the budget hearing will be held June 12. The vote to formally adopt the budget is anticipated at the Tuesday, June 20 meeting. Please note that board meetings are moving to Tuesdays from that meeting forward.

Upcoming Board of Education (BOE) meetings include:

• BOE Finance & Facilities, Tuesday, May 30, 6 p.m., Barnes PLS
  
• BOE Curriculum, Wednesday, May 31, 6 p.m., Barnes PLS
• BOE Regular Meeting and Budget Hearing, Monday, June 12, 6:30 p.m., Brownell MPR
• BOE Finance & Facilities, Tuesday, June 13, 6 p.m., Barnes PLS
• BOE Policy & Contracts, Monday, June 19, 6 p.m., Barnes PLS
• BOE Regular Meeting, TUESDAY, June 20, 6:30 p.m., Brownell MPR
• BOE Finance & Facilities, Wednesday, June 21, 6 p.m., Barnes PLS
• BOE Community Engagement, Thursday, June 22, 6 p.m., Barnes PLS

Dates for additional committee meetings are posted under the School Board dropdown; click BOE Committees. That section includes an updated description of membership for each committee as well as meeting dates, agendas and a link to the minutes. Agendas are also linked from the board calendar. Committee meetings are not filmed but all regular board meetings are and now have closed captioning. The meeting adjourned at 3:16 a.m. Please note that gave us little time to review the closed captioning from the over 9-hour meeting.

This past weekend, the annual Sutton Foster Awards showcase, honoring Michigan’s outstanding high school musical theater lead performances, was held at the Fisher Theater in Detroit. The two winners from this award show moved on to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (Jimmy Awards) held in New York City. Performing on stage May 21 were 116 talented Michigan students who were professionally judged during their school’s musical productions and received nominations to compete for this prestigious award. Included in this elite group were Grosse Pointe North’s Avani Davis, Ryan Lutes and Jake Sachs for their performances in Beauty and the Beast, and South’s Rebecca Dral, Lillian Hunwick, Brandon Vogel, and Spencer Yonkus for Mamma Mia!

In addition, 53 high school musical productions from across the state were judged in several categories. Grosse Pointe North’s production of Beauty and the Beast won two awards for Best Set Design and Best Costumes.

Superintendent Dean, pictured with Executive Director Krista Siddall, met with The Wise Guys group at the Helm on Monday and answered questions about the school system as part of our continued Listening Sessions. If you would like to arrange a similar visit for a group you belong to, please email info@gpschools.org.

Saturday, May 20, the American Association of German Teachers honored Southeast Michigan students who medaled in the National German Exam. Over 12,300 German students across the nation participated in the exam this year. Gold medalists scored in the 90% percentile or higher; Silver Medalists in the 80% percentile; and Bronze medalists scored in the 70% percentile.

GPPS German students honored at the ceremony included (in order of the picture):

• Ian Davis of South received a silver medal on the level 2 exam.
• Brandon Eshman of North received a bronze medal on the level 2 exam.
• Robbie Peabody of South received a bronze on the level 4 exam.
• Meryn Vick of South received a bronze on the level 3 exam.
• Mari Mueller of South received a bronze on the level 3 exam.

Listed below are students that were unable to attend the ceremony but medaled:

• Isabella Haindl of South received a gold on the level 4 exam.
• Lucas Bower of South received a gold on the level 2 exam.
• Jonah Bukovec of South received a gold on the level 2 exam.
• Chloe Harb of North achieved bronze on the level 4 exam.
• Jake Sachs of North achieved bronze on the level 4 exam.
• Brandon Eshman of North achieved bronze on the level 2 exam.
• Elena Martin of South received a bronze on the level 2 exam.
• Niko Tecos of South received a bronze on the level 2 exam.
• Helen Haindl of South received a bronze on the level 1 exam.

Submitted by Rebecca Petrilli, German teacher, Grosse Pointe South High School and Susi Sipos, German and French teacher, Grosse Pointe North. Submit Pointes of Pride to info@gpschools.org.

GPPSS continues to partner with the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce, business associations and Board of Realtors to attract families to the area. The annual Paint the Window contest is part of the Village Sidewalk Sale and a great opportunity to invite your friends to come explore GP.

Attention parents and students! Keep your child's reading skills sharp this summer with our menu of reading resources. Our program offers an extensive collection of reading materials for elementary, middle, and high school students. We encourage all students to participate and explore the wide range of resources we have to offer. For more information, please visit:

• Elementary Resources
• Middle School Resources
• High School Resources

This summer, the Grosse Pointe Public School System will be partnering with Michigan Virtual to offer credit recovery and grade replacement for students.

GPPSS continues to update our Summer Programs page of the website. Click to learn more. Below are some recent additions which are also shared on Peachjar, our ADA complaint flyer site. Did you know you can customize your Peachjar subscription by school?

Mark your calendar now for the final Communities United in Diversity meeting for the year, Tuesday, May 30th, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ferry Elementary, 748 Roslyn, Grosse Pointe Woods. The topic is power structures and once again the discussion will be facilitated by Wayne RESA Climate, Culture and Equity consultants Lisa Kaiser and Dr. Terrance Scott.