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April 17, 2026

GLPS Families,

We are heading into the time of year when things get really busy! The last trimester of the year includes testing, special events, and celebrations, all while continuing to ensure that learning is happening every day in our classrooms. To those ends, my update today is really just a list of upcoming events and important items to note:

International Night
Tomorrow is our annual International Night celebration here at GLPS. This event gives us the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the diversity of cultures here within our district, and it has become a wonderful tradition here at GLPS. The event runs from 4-8pm tomorrow at Beagle. Click here for more information.

Capital Improvement Planning Sessions
Our first capital planning session for the community is Monday, 4/20, at 6:30pm. Last week, I wrote: We have been able to provide significant upgrades through our current bond program, from a new Wacousta to the district restructuring to increased safety throughout the district, and we appreciate the support that our community has provided us through this process. We are now winding down the 2018 bond program, and as good stewards of the community’s resources, we need to look ahead at continued needs over the next five years. To those ends, we are currently partnering with architects TMP and construction managers Clark Construction to develop that plan, which could include a potential zero mill increase over our current rates bond proposal to enhance our instructional facilities. We spent the winter working with our partners and helping them get familiar with our needs, including those listed here from an October 2025 presentation. Now, we have reached a point where we would like to share our thoughts with you, our families, staff, and the community. To those ends, we are hosting two community forms, and would like to invite you to attend. Please see the flyer above for more details, and if you plan to attend, please RSVP at GLcomets.net/RSVP so we can maximize participant engagement.

Beagle STEAM Showcase
Our annual Beagle STEAM Arts Showcase is on Thursday, 4/23. This is a wonderful celebration of the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math programs at Beagle, and it transforms the second floor of the building into an amazing display of student talent and hard work. Check out this video, highlighting the event.

Summer Learning Update
We have received some questions about summer learning this year. Unfortunately, the grants that we have used to pay for it are no longer available, so we will not be hosting a summer learning program this summer. We delayed making this announcement to try to find additional funding, but we reached the point where we had to make this decision. We have been able to offer the program for the past five summers through the maximization of a variety of grants, but the ones we have used, starting with COVID dollars back in 2021 through an extended time grant called 23G last year, are no longer funded. We appreciate all of the students, staff, and families who have participated in the program, and we will continue to seek funding opportunities for future years, as we know it has a positive impact on everyone involved.

That is all I have for this week. We hope to see you at some of the events listed above, and we appreciate your understanding around the elimination of summer learning this year. Have a wonderful weekend; I appreciate the opportunity we have to serve all of Comet Country, as well to work with you and your children every day. As always, I am #proudtobeacomet!

Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools