Eastpointe, Roseville school officials reflect on 2023, look forward to 2024

EASTPOINTE/ROSEVILLE — Now that Christmas break is over, students and staff are back in class in both Eastpointe Community Schools and Roseville Community Schools.

Here is a look back at 2023 and what’s planned for 2024.

 

Eastpointe Community Schools
“We’re really working on rebuilding community trust in our public schools,” ECS Superintendent Christina Gibson said. “The world needs a little more hope, celebrating and learning.”

One notable change this school year is the addition of school resource officer Marcel Prude, who came to the district in August. Prude — who in 2023 was named Eastpointe’s Police Officer of the Year during the Eastpointe-Roseville Chamber of Commerce 2023 Salute to Excellence Award program  — works with students and staff across the district.

“It’s such a great resource to have the police officer to reinforce expectations,” Gibson said, adding he’s also there to help students “understand the impact of their choices.”

“We’ve updated all of our libraries. We bought new books and increased circulation in library materials 300%, especially at our high school campus,” Gibson said.

More building upgrades are scheduled for 2024. During the primary election Aug. 8, voters approved a $36.4 million bond proposal. The bond issue will generate funding to pay for improvements to school facilities across the district.

A bond proposal is developed by the school district and presented to the voters. When a bond proposal passes, the bonds are sold in the capital markets at a date determined by the district, a financial adviser and an underwriter. Upon closing, funds generated from the bond sale are deposited in the district’s construction fund and are available to spend for completion of the projects contemplated in the bond proposal.

Bond projects are scheduled for all nine buildings in the district, including four elementary schools, Eastpointe Middle School, Eastpointe High School, the ELC, the Alternative Center and the operations and transportation building. The district’s architects are Partners in Architecture, in Mount Clemens, and the construction manager is Barton Malow, in Southfield. The bond is for 25 years.

School officials have planned the following improvements in the summer of 2024: replacing mechanical units and classroom cabinetry along exterior-facing walls at Bellview, Forest Park and Crescentwood; painting classroom walls; replacing interior doors, frames and trim, and replacing classroom cabinets and sinks; and adding coat cubbies at Pleasantview and the ELC.

Since the district’s school buildings were built at a time in which students primarily walked to school, the parking lots are outdated. They will undergo updates districtwide. Gibson said Forest Park will be the first school to receive parking lot renovations.

“It’s one of our most congested pickup and drop-off sites,” Gibson said.

Gibson said district officials also will seek bid specifications this school year to repair the Eastpointe High School pool. According to school officials, the pool has been closed since 2020 due to failed mechanical pump equipment.

According to the district’s December 2023 newsletter, the Forest Park parking lot and EHS pool repairs and renovations will be worked on during the winter of 2024 through the spring of 2025.

 

Roseville Community Schools
In 2023, Roseville saw a new face on the school board. At the April 17 school board meeting, the board members voted 6-0 to appoint Denise Brun. Her term will end Dec. 31, 2024. Brun was appointed to fill a vacancy after Board member Michael Anderson moved out of state and resigned his position.

School officials stepped up STEM opportunities for students in 2023 by offering more classes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. And more could be on the way.

“We’re looking at possibly creating a drone class next year for our high school students,” Superintendent Mark Blaszkowski said.

“The work of our kids, and to see their growth, is always a highlight for me,” Blaszkowski said. “We had a very successful athletic campaign this fall. Our high school is doing some really good things to prepare the kids for college and to let our students know what opportunities they have. Learning never ends. It’s an ongoing process.”

School absences, however, have been an issue.

“Our biggest push is ensuring kids are coming to school regularly. That’s been a struggle since COVID. Our absentee numbers are higher than pre-COVID,” Blaszkowski said. “After COVID, (parents) have lost the importance of sending their kids to school.”

One reason is because students can work virtually, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the student is learning.

“We found that online was subpar. Doing an assignment at home is not getting the full impact,” Blaszkowski said. “If a kid misses one day of school, it takes three more days to make up for that one day. Every day in school is important. When kids miss school, it increases their anxiety. It affects their motivation in coming to school. Please send your kids to school so we can help them have opportunities for their futures.”

Some students still have a difficult time being in school after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(Teachers) have structured recess time and projects or games in the classroom so students engage with other kids to help them feel more comfortable coming to school,” Blaszkowski said.

During this school year, district officials will seek volunteers to help with student safety before and after school. They’ll be looking for community members to be on the lookout “for anything suspicious” as students walk to school in the morning and home in the afternoon.

“If they see something, they need to say something,”  Blaszkowski said.

Volunteers will contact the police directly should they see something suspicious. Information on the program will be posted on the district’s website soon, at www.rosevillepride.org.