Welcome to Besser Elementary
Besser Elementary School is located in the City of Alpena in northeastern Michigan. We are one of six elementary schools currently operated by the Alpena Public School District. Besser serves a population of approximately 455 K-5 students from the City and Township of Alpena.
Besser Calendar
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Bid Request: Interactive Displays for K-5 Classrooms
Alpena Public Schools (APS) will accept sealed competitive proposals for Newline Interactive Displays for grades K-5 by 2:00 P.M. EST on May 2, 2025.
APS Students return to school on Tuesday April 8th
Dear APS Families and Community,
Thank you to everyone who was able to respond to our recent survey regarding the return to school. We received 1,316 responses—your feedback has been invaluable as we continue to assess our readiness. We also recognize that many in our community are still without power and may not have been able to respond. Of those who did, 36% reported still being without power, and we understand that many more may be facing similar challenges.
Here’s a quick summary of what we learned:
45% of respondents indicated they were ready to return to school on Monday.
27% shared some concerns but felt they could return.
29% said they were not ready to return.
Not surprisingly, 60% of those without power said they were not ready, while 88% of those with power indicated they were ready to return.
We’ve been reviewing all of your input, including the suggestions for how we can support our students and staff. Much of the support mentioned—such as restoring power and water—remains outside of our control. Still, we are doing everything we can within our buildings to ensure a safe, supportive, and smooth return.
APS has been partnering with our local emergency management agencies. You may have noticed that APS has been using social media to communicate important information to the community. APS also loaned a commercial-grade generator to the county as support for their operations at the fairgrounds. Once our buildings had power restored, we were prepared to support the recovery efforts by opening some as warming facilities. Thankfully, many other organizations had opened their doors as warming shelters, and as we came online, warming shelters were being consolidated due to declining utilization.
While our facilities team has been hard at work preparing our buildings, we also need time for our staff to return, reconnect, and make final preparations before welcoming students back. That time is essential to creating the learning environment our kids deserve.
There are also a few logistical issues we need to resolve:
Food Deliveries – We’ve placed emergency orders to replace the food lost during the outages. While we’ve been guaranteed delivery on Monday, we have not been given a specific time. This creates uncertainty around our ability to provide lunch on Monday, though we will be able to serve breakfast.
Bus Routes – Although roads appear to be clear, our drivers will run their routes without students on Monday to assess actual road conditions and report back.
Should food deliveries be delayed or road conditions prove unacceptable, we will adjust our plan accordingly.
Given these circumstances, staff have been informed that they will return to work on Monday, April 7, to reconnect and prepare. Students will return to school on Tuesday, April 8. High school students enrolled in classes at ACC should expect to receive communication from the college regarding their schedule.
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible staff who have already been working tirelessly this past week to get us to this point. Your dedication does not go unnoticed.
As we return, let’s do so with a deep sense of grace and understanding—for ourselves and for one another. Everyone in our community has experienced this storm differently, and we will need patience and empathy as we work our way back into routine.
For those of you who remain without power, I understand how you might be feeling at this time as my family is still without power as well.
Our goal is to provide a sense of normalcy for our students, staff, and families, but we know many are still facing significant challenges. Parents are empowered to make the best decision for their students based on their individual circumstances.
We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, April 8th.
APS Board Workshop Monday April 7, 2025 with Live Stream
APS BOARD OF EDUCATION Workshop
Monday, April 7, 2025 5:30 p.m.
APS Boardroom 2373 Gordon Rd. Alpena, MI 49707
Live Stream Link https://youtube.com/live/IZ7nTkKM-ME?feature=share
Bid Request: Grass, Weed Cutting and Trimming
Alpena Public Schools will accept sealed bids for Grass, Weed Cutting and Trimming until Monday, April 7, 2025.
Main Office Personnel
Schedule
- 8:20 - Doors Open/Breakfast
- 8:33 - Instruction Begins
- 3:42 - Dismissal
Half Day Dismissal is 11:45 am
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21 Apr
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No School - Easter MondayDate: Apr 21Calendar: District Calendar
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22 Apr
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Sanborn Kindergarten Round Up 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMSanborn Kindergarten Round UpDate: Apr 22Time: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMCalendar: District Calendar
Welcome to Kindergarten!
Stop in any time between 5 PM and 6:30 PM to:
Enroll your child
Take a building tour
Take a photo for “Kindergarten Signing Day!”
Take home a school readiness activity bag
Enjoy light refreshments
To be eligible for enrollment in Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten, your child must be 5 on or before December 1, 2025. If your child will turn 5 after September 1, but prior to December 1, an age waiver is required.
What to bring with you:
Legal birth certificate from the courthouse
Proof of parent’s residency (updated driver’s license, utility bill, rent/mortgage receipt)
Immunization record or proof of waiver from the health dept.
Vision screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Dental screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Questions or can’t make registration night?
Contact Susan at APS (989) 358-5025 or woodens@alpenaschools.com
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24 Apr
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Wilson Kindergarten Round Up 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMWilson Kindergarten Round UpDate: Apr 24Time: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMCalendar: District Calendar
Welcome to Kindergarten!
Stop in any time between 5 PM and 6:30 PM to:
Enroll your child
Take a building tour
Take a photo for “Kindergarten Signing Day!”
Take home a school readiness activity bag
Enjoy light refreshments
To be eligible for enrollment in Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten, your child must be 5 on or before December 1, 2025. If your child will turn 5 after September 1, but prior to December 1, an age waiver is required.
What to bring with you:
Legal birth certificate from the courthouse
Proof of parent’s residency (updated driver’s license, utility bill, rent/mortgage receipt)
Immunization record or proof of waiver from the health dept.
Vision screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Dental screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Questions or can’t make registration night?
Contact Susan at APS (989) 358-5025 or woodens@alpenaschools.com
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29 Apr
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Ella White Kindergarten Round Up 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMElla White Kindergarten Round UpDate: Apr 29Time: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMCalendar: District Calendar
Welcome to Kindergarten!
Stop in any time between 5 PM and 6:30 PM to:
Enroll your child
Take a building tour
Take a photo for “Kindergarten Signing Day!”
Take home a school readiness activity bag
Enjoy light refreshments
To be eligible for enrollment in Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten, your child must be 5 on or before December 1, 2025. If your child will turn 5 after September 1, but prior to December 1, an age waiver is required.
What to bring with you:
Legal birth certificate from the courthouse
Proof of parent’s residency (updated driver’s license, utility bill, rent/mortgage receipt)
Immunization record or proof of waiver from the health dept.
Vision screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Dental screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Questions or can’t make registration night?
Contact Susan at APS (989) 358-5025 or woodens@alpenaschools.com
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1 May
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Besser Kindergarten Round Up 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMBesser Kindergarten Round UpDate: May 1Time: 5:00 PM to 6:30 PMCalendar: District Calendar
Welcome to Kindergarten!
Stop in any time between 5 PM and 6:30 PM to:
Enroll your child
Take a building tour
Take a photo for “Kindergarten Signing Day!”
Take home a school readiness activity bag
Enjoy light refreshments
To be eligible for enrollment in Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten, your child must be 5 on or before December 1, 2025. If your child will turn 5 after September 1, but prior to December 1, an age waiver is required.
What to bring with you:
Legal birth certificate from the courthouse
Proof of parent’s residency (updated driver’s license, utility bill, rent/mortgage receipt)
Immunization record or proof of waiver from the health dept.
Vision screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Dental screening (if completed) Must be after March 1, 2025
Questions or can’t make registration night?
Contact Susan at APS (989) 358-5025 or woodens@alpenaschools.com
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History
Located on twenty acres of land donated by local philanthropist Jesse Besser, the school opened in 1958 as an elementary school of the K-8 Thunder Bay School District. Besser became part of Alpena Public Schools as a junior high school in 1963. Due to declining enrollment, Besser was closed from 1983 until it reopened in 1986 as an elementary school.
