Macomb County Board Honors Macomb Township Green Schools

An award ceremony took place Tuesday at Macomb Intermediate School District in Clinton Township.

The Macomb County Board of Commissioners honored local schools for green initiatives Tuesday during an awards ceremony at Macomb Intermediate School District. Several Macomb Township schools were among those recognized, including those in Chippewa Valley, L'Anse Creuse, Utica and New Haven districts. There were 127 schools across the county that have achieved Official Michigan Green School status. “The Board is very proud to partner with the MISD on this successful hands-on program,” Board Chairman David Flynn said in prepared statement. “Green Schools not only teaches students how to be responsible stewards of the natural resources in their community, but it also has the potential to lower energy costs for the schools involved.”     St. …

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Your Guide to Kindergarten Programs and Enrollment in Macomb Township

In Michigan, children must be at least 5 years old on or before Nov. 1, 2013 to enroll in kindergarten for the 2013-14 school year.

Public and private schools in Macomb Township and across Macomb County have started enrolling kindergarten students for the 2013-14 academic year. Under Michigan's new kindergarten start dates, a child can be enrolled in a program for the 2013-14 year if they are at least 5 years old on or before Nov. 1, 2013. To make the selection of a program and the ultimate enrollment process easier, Patch has compiled a list of need-to-know information from schools in the area. Want more Macomb Township school and local news? Sign up for Patch's free e-newsletter for daily updates. A parent or legal guardian must register a student. Most schools required the following items to be provided at the time of enrollment: Chippewa Valley Schools L'Anse …

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Utica Community Schools OKs $841,960 for New Wheels

The Utica board of education approved the purchase of 10 new school buses this week to replace older models currently in service.

The newest additions to Utica Community Schools’ fleet of school buses will ring in at roughly $84,196 a piece. The board of education approved a total of $845,806.90 Monday for the purchase of 10 buses and 10 mobile radios ($3,846.90) to replace older models currently in use. Whereas many of the older buses seat only 65 or 66 people, the newer models have a 77-person seating capacity, which has helped the district reduce its fleet in the last three years from 252 buses to 245 today. All buses are purchased through the MSBO/MAPT Bus Purchase Program, which provides a significant discount on the overall cost. The purchase is being funded by the 2009 bond issue. There are currently 66 77-passenger buses, 123 65-passenger buses, 29 47-…

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Utica Schools Will 'Pick Up the Pace' in Science, Digital Learning, Superintendent Says

Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns said recent 2012 MEAP results show a need to strengthen science instruction across the district.

Though pleased with overall student performance on the 2012 Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP test, Utica Community Schools’ superintendent says there is always room for improvement, namely in the area of science. “We’re pleased with the performance overall, specifically in the area of math, which showed increased growth in all grades,” said Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns. “If you look at numbers across the county, you’ll observe our performance is very consistent in all of our subject areas and we’re pleased about that.” According to results released Monday, Utica students scored above state average in every subject and grade level tested by the 2012 MEAP. Taken during fall 2012, the MEAP tests public school students in…

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Macomb Schools' MEAP Results Show Greatest Gains in Math, Struggles in Science

Chippewa Valley, L'Anse Creuse and Utica outpaced statewide MEAP averages in most subjects in 2012. However, New Haven was generally unable to match state averages beyond its results in third grade math and reading.

For the most part, students in Chippewa Valley, L'Anse Creuse and Utica districts continued to perform on par or above their peers across the state in all subject areas, according to the recently-released results of the 2012 Michigan Educational Assessment Program, or MEAP test. New Haven students struggled to match state averages in all areas except third-grade math and reading. During the MEAP exam, taken during fall 2012, public school students in grades 3-9 were tested in math, reading, writing, social studies and/or science depending on the grade level. Across Michigan, students showed improvement in reading, math and writing in 2012, with the improvement seen in all grades and most demographic groups. Utica saw its greatest gains in …

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Snow Day in Macomb Township

Chippewa Valley Schools, Utica Community Schools, L'Anse Creuse Public Schools and New Haven Community Schools have canceled classes.

The Chippewa Valley School District, Utica Community Schools, L'Anse Creuse Public Schools and New Haven Community Schools have canceled classes Friday due to inclement weather, according to WDIV. This is the second snow day of the year for Chippewa Valley, L'Anse Creuse and Utica Community Schools, which previously called off school on Jan. 28. For New Haven, this is the third snow day. Kids not content with just building snowmen in the backyard? Check out 5 Ways to Enjoy the Snow at Stony Creek: Sledding, Snowshoeing and More.

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Utica Community Schools Braces for $22.5 Million Deficit in 2013-14

The district anticipates it will spend around $265.3 million in 2013-14, but take in only $239.6 million in revenue, according to early estimates.

Unless the district receives an unexpected windfall from the state, Utica Community Schools is looking at a $22.5 million to $25.7 million deficit for the 2013-14 academic year. With Gov. Rick Snyder due to unveil his third 2014 budget on Feb. 7, the district is making no assumptions about additional school aid funding and taking a hard look at its costs minus any cuts or added revenue. “We’re looking at what operating costs were in 2012-13 and what expenses would be if we kept staffing levels consistent and did everything the same (in 2013-14) as we do today,” said Stephanie Eagan, assistant superintendent for business and employee services. Taking into account the health care and retirement demands of the state as well, Eagan estimates …

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Schools Closed in Chippewa Valley, Utica Community Schools, L'Anse Creuse and New Haven Districts

Many Macomb Township children will not have school Monday due to the weather.

Local school districts called off classes today due to weather conditions. Chippewa Valley, Utica Community Schools, L'Anse Creuse and New Haven Community Schools are closed, according to their websites. Macomb County was placed under a winter weather advisory that began around 7 p.m. Sunday. Tell us in the comments' section below: What are you doing with your kids today?

Masked Thieves Hit Macomb Store, Residents Pour Love of Michigan Wine into Biz and More

Macomb Township Patch recaps the news from this past week.

Miss the latest local headlines in town? Catch up on them with our one-stop reading recap:

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Main Entrances in Utica Schools to Get Security Boost

Utica Community Schools will add cameras, intercoms and electronic locks to its elementary and junior high main entrances this year.

With $350,000 already earmarked for camera equipment, plans to upgrade the security of main entrances in the Utica school district are now underway. Taking into account the results of recent security assessments, Utica Community Schools plans to purchase and install several pieces of new equipment that will allow the main entrances of all elementary and junior high schools to remain locked during the school day. More: Increased Security in Macomb Township Schools May be New Normal The Utica board of education Jan. 14 approved $350,000 to purchase security camera equipment that, combined with an audio component and latch-release function, will allow main office personnel to control the entry of visitors to the school. The cameras will …

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