Alpena Public Schools, located in the cultural, economic, and educational hub of northeast Michigan, is a Class A district. We serve a population of approximately 3,600 students in 6 elementary schools for grades K-5, a junior high for grades 6-8, and a high school for grades 9-12 as well as an alternative high school program.

Our Mission

Our District's mission statement reflects our close connection with the people we serve: "Alpena Public Schools, in partnership with our community, teaches and challenges all students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens."

APS Strategic Plan

At its August 26, 2025, Regular Meeting, the Alpena Public Schools Board of Education officially adopted a 3-5-year Strategic Plan—a roadmap created to guide our district’s growth and success.

This process officially began on February 24, 2024, when more than 50 students, staff, administrators, Board of Education members, and community stakeholders came together to identify the district’s strengths and areas for improvement. From there, the Board, administration, and district leadership teams worked collaboratively to refine a plan that addresses the current and future needs of our students, schools, and community.

Since the plan’s adoption, we have been focused on defining, assessing, and strengthening our systems, language, protocols, and practices to ensure they are aligned with the needs of our students and staff. Every step forward is intentional and measurable.

The Strategic Plan is built around five key goal areas, all supporting the district’s mission:

Academics & Programs – Delivering high-quality instruction to maximize student achievement.
Whole-Child Development – Providing supports that foster student engagement, growth, and well-being.
Personnel – Attracting, recruiting, retaining, and developing highly qualified staff.
Family & Community Partnership – Strengthening relationships with families and community partners.
Stewardship – Advancing and maintaining a long-term sustainability plan.

The plan is structured using the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP), ensuring that each goal area includes strategies and implementation activities that are monitored and measured for ongoing progress.

The foundation of this plan is continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, communication, monitoring, and support. Together, these principles will help us create the best possible learning environment for all APS students.

We are excited to move forward with this plan and will continue to share updates as we implement meaningful changes for our schools and community.