Welcome back for the 2024/2025 School Year from Superintendent Rabbideau
Dear APS Family,
While there's still some summer left to enjoy, I would like to extend to you the first official "Welcome" to the 2024-25 school year.
Each year, we have more to celebrate and be excited about at Alpena Public Schools. This school year is no exception! Examples include: U.S. News and World Report ranked Alpena High School in the top 13% of high schools in the State of Michigan and in the top 18% in the United States; AHS MATE ROV finished in the top third of teams at World Champions; 43 Alpena Early College graduates earned 2,219 credits; and Sanborn Elementary was deemed State Champions and Hinks Elementary State Runner-up in Imagine Learning Math. See a complete list of 2023-2024 APS Highlights at www.alpenaschools.com.
Energized by the resounding vote of confidence from our community with the renewal of our Operating Millage this past February (Thank you, voters!), Alpena Public Schools will launch its new Strategic Plan, enter the final phases of our $33.9 million Safe, Warm, Dry bond work, and continue to focus on improving the experience of our students, staff, families, and community.
APS will start the 2024-25 school year with a new 3- to 5-year Strategic Plan. This plan will help the school district improve in various areas: Academics and Programs, Whole Child Development, Personnel, Family and Community Partnership, and Stewardship of our resources. The main goal of this plan is to ensure our students, families, and employees have an excellent experience at Alpena Public Schools.
I will share updates about the plan at board meetings, staff meetings, on social media, in school and district newsletters, and on our website. There will also be opportunities for you to get involved.
We are putting the finishing touches on approximately $5 million in Safe, Warm, Dry Bond projects this summer at the high school, Ella White, and Wilson. Ella White and Wilson received new floors, but the majority of the work was conducted at the high school including replacing the roof, fascia, and several exterior doors.
The final year of our Safe, Warm, Dry Bond is approaching. The construction schedule began in 2021 and will continue through the end of 2025. APS is proud to have advocated on behalf of our taxpaying community by utilizing a no-cost-to-taxpayer $7.1 million Trane energy bond (paid for through energy rebates) and approximately $2.6 million in ESSER (COVID) funds. This has allowed us to stretch the Safe, Warm, Dry Bond improvements to upwards of $43 million while leveraging $33.9 million in taxes over twenty years.
Our students and staff are Safe, Warm, and Dry because of your support as a taxpayer - thank you!
This summer, several administrators, teachers, and staff members attended conferences and training sessions to improve their ability to meet the needs of their students. Our staff is committed to continuously improving their skills to perform at the highest level.
The 2024-25 school year will highlight the continued improvement of our curriculum. This spring, we adopted a new math curriculum for students in grades 6-12. Our teachers spent time over the summer engaging in professional learning and will be ready to implement this curriculum when we return to school.
APS piloted a new English Language Arts curriculum with students in K-5 last year, and we will do a full implementation of the curriculum with all K-5 students this year. Early feedback indicates that this new curriculum is engaging and rigorous.
In January, APS administered the Rehmann Employee Engagement Survey. The survey is designed to help employers understand how their employees feel about their work experience. As part of our Strategic Plan, APS is committed to continuously improve the work experience for our staff. When we return for the school year, the administration will be implementing employee engagement goals based upon our survey results.
As I close, I would like to thank you in advance for your partnership in providing an outstanding education for your student(s). All of us at APS understand and appreciate the importance of partnering with those who make up a student's home support system (parents, grandparents, guardians, and so on). With a strong partnership, everyone can be successful.
I encourage you to reach out to your building principal to learn about the many ways you can be involved in supporting your student(s) and APS.
For more information on the topics I have mentioned above, please visit our website atwww.alpenaschools.com.
Enjoy the remainder of this summer break, and have a wonderful school year.
Sincerely,
Dave Rabbideau, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Alpena Public Schools
