Superintendent - broken
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Please view my message here if you need translation services.
August 28, 2026
GLPS Families,
The first week of the 2026-2027 school year is in the books! As I made my way around the district this week, it was wonderful to see all of the students and staff back in classrooms, lunchrooms, hallways, and on playgrounds and athletic fields. I saw a lot of smiling faces, and thanks to everyone involved, a smooth transition into the school year. As a reminder, please utilize the Grand Ledge Public Schools Effective Communication and Problem Solving Model if you have questions, concerns, or need support now or as the year goes on.
For my message this week, I want to share some fun information with you that I shared with our staff last week on their first day back. The first school that was built within the boundaries of what would become Grand Ledge Public Schools was built in 1851. That makes 2026 a special year, as we have been helping students learn and grow for 175 years in our community. To celebrate, you will see staff around the district wearing sweatshirts this year with this logo, tying together our mission statement of Growing Learners, Preparing Students, the logo of our script GL, and the fact that we have been successfully serving the students and families of our community for 175 years.
In addition, we also shared with staff the history of school buildings in our district. Take a look at this timeline, which was included in our all district kickoff on August 18th. For those of you that have been around a while, like me, you will recognize some building names that you may not have seen in a while, and for those of you who are new to the community, it is fun to see the path that our district has taken to arrive where we are today.
While it is important to celebrate our history, it is also important to acknowledge the present state of the district. Last week, I shared our strategic plan with you, as well as the notion that we continue to strive to live up to those ideals on a daily basis. In July, I presented information to the Board of Education on feedback that we collected from students and families last year. This data shows that while we have areas in which we need to continue to grow, overall we are successfully serving students and families, as well as regularly creating amazing learning opportunities. I encourage you to take a look, and read through the data set.
I also want to celebrate another successful year in the Lansing State Journal’s Community Choice Awards. These awards are voted on by the community, and we are proud to be the recipient awards in three different categories.
For the third year in a row, Grand Ledge Public Schools was named the best school district in the region!
And, also for the third year in a row, Little Comets was named the region’s best childcare provider!
Finally, new this year, we were named the region’s best employer! We always knew we had the best employees, but it was quite an honor to be recognized for not only creating a great place to learn, but also a great place to work.
Again, these awards are voted on by the greater Lansing community, and we know that there are many great districts, childcare providers, and places to work, so it is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition year after year.
As I wrap up this week, and in keeping with this theme of past and present, I want to preview the messages I will be sending throughout the fall. I will be sharing some additional information about the future of Grand Ledge Public Schools, including opportunities for engagement, plans for continued academic growth, and the facilities needs we are continuing to work hard to address. So, stay tuned! Finally, I want to end with a heartfelt thank you for allowing Grand Ledge Public Schools to serve your children, you, our families, and all of Comet Country every day. I truly value the opportunity to live, learn, and lead in such an incredible community. Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, I am #proudtobeacomet!
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
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Message from the Superintendent
Please view my message here if you need translation services.
September 3, 2026
GLPS Families,
Last week, I shared with you that in future weeks, I would be sharing additional information about the future of Grand Ledge Public Schools, including opportunities for engagement, plans for continued academic growth, and the facilities needs we are continuing to work hard to address. So, to those ends, I want to share some engagement opportunities with you. One of the belief statements in our strategic plan is that “ We believe in partnerships between the family, community, and education stakeholders for the success of GLPS”, and so today, I want to provide you with some concrete ways to be a part of those partnerships.
Each of the following is an opportunity for you to engage with the district in meaningful ways to help improve our programs. Each link will take you to a different Google Form so you can sign up to receive more information about the corresponding committee. Some are asynchronous, meaning that you can simply provide feedback, and some are meetings, but all are a chance to make your voice matter! Please take a moment to fill out the forms that speak to you.
Engagement Opportunities
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Caregiver School Improvement Team: This group will meet four times this year, and each session will have a specific focus for parents, family members, and caregivers to provide feedback. The session dates (and topics) are October 28th (Feedback and Input on Staff Professional Development), December 2nd (Feedback and Input on Strategic Plan Survey Data), February 17th (Feedback and Input on GLPS’s School Improvement Goals), and April 20th (Feedback and Input on the 2026-2027 School Year). All sessions are from 6:00-7:30 at Sawdon. Please do not feel obligated to come to all sessions. However, if you would like to receive communications about these sessions, and potentially join one, please fill out this form .
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Portrait of a Learner Input Sessions: As a district, we are working to develop our Portrait of a Learner, which is a set of skills that are cultivated from the moment a student steps into our district until they graduate. By identifying these skills, and then ensuring students learn them, we can better align resources to ensure that all kids can thrive during their time at GLPS and then when they graduate. We would like to have your input on what those skills are and what we need to do to help kids learn them. So, we will have two caregiver input sessions. One is an in-person session October 14th at Sawdon, and one is a virtual session on October 21st. Both are 6:00-7:30. There will also be an opportunity to provide input through a Google Form if you cannot attend either meeting. If you would like to be a part of this process, please fill out this form.
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Wellness Committee: We want to make sure we are supporting the whole child, which means paying attention not only to academic programming but also to how our students, staff, and families experience all aspects of our district. Per board policy 8510 , GLPS is required to annually appoint a wellness committee to review our policy and provide feedback on the district’s wellness programs. Given the required participation and size, this committee will not meet, but will instead provide me with feedback asynchronously. So, if you are interested in sharing your thoughts on our district wellness programming, now is your chance to do it! If you or your child would like to be a part of this asynchronous committee and provide GLPS with feedback, please fill out this form.
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Health Center Community Advisory Committee: We are looking for interested folks who would like to help provide feedback on policies and procedures within our University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Health Center, located at Grand Ledge High School. We will hold two sessions: one on September 15th and the other on September 30th. Both are from 7-8, and both are virtual. You will also have the opportunity to provide feedback through a Google Form. If you would like to be a part of this committee, please fill out this form.
Thank you for considering the opportunity to be a part of these important conversations with me and district leaders. Your voice truly matters! As I wrap up today, I want to call your attention to two additional items.
The first is an additional way to engage with GLPS and celebrate a local hero. Every November, the GLPS Board of Education recognizes a staff member and community member for their military service, and we are seeking nominations for that recognition! Please take a moment to check out our Veterans Recognition page , and nominate a deserving veteran!
For the second, please take a moment to read this letter from Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd . It deals specifically with students who make threats within our schools. We take all threats seriously, and as evidenced by the letter, so does Prosecutor Lloyd. Please make sure you talk with your students about not only refraining from making any kind of threatening statements, but also reporting any threats they hear to a trusted adult.
That is all I have for this week; I truly appreciate the opportunity that I have to serve all of Comet Country and to lead, learn, and grow with you and your children every day. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend; as always, I am #proudtobeacomet!
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
IMPORTANT NOTE: Media inquiries and requests should be directed to John Ellsworth, GLPS Director of Communications: email him at Communications@GLcomets.net or call his office phone at 517-925-5414.
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