Superintendent's Bi-Weekly Report to the Board of Education

ELPS Superintendent’s Report 
December 9, 2024

Winter Break Coming Up

The last day of school before winter break is Friday, December 20, 2024. School will resume Monday, January 6, 2025.

Holiday/Winter Break Giving Opportunity to Support ELPS Families

Last year, ELPS was able to provide almost $4000 directly to our families through donations from community members. We'd like to offer this support to our ELPS families once again this season. Every dollar collected is redistributed directly to ELPS families.

To make a donation via Venmo - please use the address Dori-Leyko

To make a donation via check - Please write the check to East Lansing Public Schools and send to the address below.

Donations will need to be received by the end of the day December 16 so we have time to distribute funds to families before break.

Donations can be mailed to:

ELPS Support c/o Superintendent’s Office
501 Burcham Drive
East Lansing, MI 48823

Snow Day Decisions and Communication

As we enter the "Snow Day Season," I'd like to share some information about how the decision of whether or not to cancel school is made and how a school closing will be communicated.

1. Many weather factors are considered when determining whether or not to cancel school:

• Amount of snow (current and predicted)
• Timing of snow
• Temperature and wind chill (sustained wind chills of -20 degrees or lower will result in school closing or delay)
• Road and sidewalk conditions (including conditions for busses and young drivers)
• Other factors such as blowing and drifting, ice or freezing rain, visibility, power outages

I do a road check throughout the district beginning around 4:15 a.m. and communicate with other local superintendents and often the City of EL and/or ELPD.

2. When possible, we will make the call the night before in order to give families as much time as possible to prepare. If a decision to close schools is made the night before, it will be communicated no later than 10:00 p.m.

If the decision to close schools is made in the morning, we do our best to communicate by 5:30 a.m. (and no later than 6:00 a.m.).

3. If a decision is made to close school, the closing is communicated to staff and families via the following methods:

• Robocall (and text if you have that feature turned on!) to staff and families
  • Make sure your phone number is current in PowerSchool
• ELPS Facebook Page and other official ELPS social media
• ELPS Website - main page
• Local TV stations: WILX, WLNS, Fox 47

4. Information about other events (practices, games, concerts, etc.) will be made later in the morning and communicated through coaches and advisors and/or the district website.

Thank You to Trustee Holbrook

Thank you to Trustee Gary Holbrook for his service on the ELPS Board of Education. Mr. Holbrook was appointed to fill a vacancy in August 2023 and has served on the Policy Committee, the Finance Committee and is currently the Board’s representative at the Ingham School Officials Association meetings with other county Board of Education members. We appreciate your time and dedication to the students and staff of ELPS.

Next Board of Education Meeting is January 13, 2025

The next meeting of the Board of Education is Monday, January 13, 2025. This will be an organizational meeting to elect officers and approve Board meeting dates for 2025.