LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Thirteen Lansing School District schools are being highlighted for reaching concerning state education standards.
An annual Michigan Department of Education report reviews graduation rates and other academic benchmarks.
More than 400 schools around the state are listed in three different groups of concern. Lansing Schools are labeled in need of “comprehensive support and improvement”.
SEE MORE: State: Half of Lansing public schools considered “low achieving”
School leaders are telling 6 News they hope to see some change with help from a state partnership.
“Figure out you know, what kind of concentrated support, I think is their verbiage, figure out what does that mean and also make sure we reduce and mitigate the financial hardship that could happen with the state stepping if that’s what happens in any of our schools,” said Kurt Richardson, an LSD board member-elect.
Richardson is one of the newly elected members of the Lansing School District board. He said he’s cautiously optimistic about the district entering a partnership with the Michigan Department of Education.
“Comprehensive support and improvement” means graduation rates were below 67% and or students were performing at the bottom 5%. Several schools in Jackson and Owosso were also in that group.
MORE: Here’s a list of local schools the state considers “low achieving”
Newly elected Lansing board member Rosalyn Williams said she hopes the partnership brings the focus on kids and leads to better collaboration.
“Bringing everyone together to the same table to the same room to say “Okay this is my child” because many times it’s the dialogue that’s missing. The dialogue, once it starts to happen it’ll make it easier for everyone,” said Williams.
Two schools in Holt and Charlotte are listed for “additional targeted support” while several schools in Jackson, Grand Ledge, Waverly, Owosso, Holt and Webberville were grouped under “targeted support and improvement”.
In a statement, LSD superintendent Ben Shuldiner said the district acknowledges the shortcomings. He said the school has improved hiring, enrollment and other student programs.
“All staff members I met wanted to do right by students. However, the Lansing School District had antiquated systems and structures, a lack of district-wide focus, and a history of low performance. Today, we acknowledge what the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has stated, that for far too long, the Lansing School District has underserved our children. We have already taken significant steps to ameliorating the areas of concern: we have hired more teachers, we have increased Pre-K enrollment, we have created an alternative education school, we have increased Career and Technical Education programs, we passed a bond to build new schools, we have created the Department of Instruction to focus on improving instruction in the classrooms to name just a handful of positive changes. But we must do more. We welcome this partnership with MDE so that together the school district and MDE can better serve our students and our community.”
Ben Shuldiner, LSD Superintendent
State officials said that partnerships would provide eligible districts with support to improve performance monitored through 18-month interim benchmarks and 36-month end goals.