LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Class is almost back in session for schools around the state.
Students with the Lansing School District are just days away from returning to the classroom.
Thursday’s Lansing School District Board of Education meeting was the last one before classes start on Aug. 28.
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner says this fall semester features several upgrades both in and outside the classroom.
Shuldiner says the district has made investments in infrastructure repairs to several schools over the summer.
One part of a new educational opportunity called Lansing Tech.
Read more: Lansing Schools to open career and tech high school
Earlier this year, the district announced the creation of a technical high school with a focus on preparing students in the building trades, culinary arts, computer science, along with fire and medical science.
Shuldiner says while traditional career and technical education programs split up a student’s day, this school brings together the core classes and trade skills.
“The great thing about Lansing Tech is you’re going to be in the building’s trade program, but you are going to be learning English,” Shuldiner said.
“Imagine doing geometry but base it on building a house rather than just boring old geometry. So now we are able to tie the academics with the hands-on learning; that’s what makes it so special.”
District officials are also wrapping up contract talks before the school year starts.
Earlier this month, the contracts with the school’s public safety officers and secretaries were approved. Now, negotiations with the teacher’s union are still on-going.
In a joint statement earlier this month, union and district officials said negotiations touched on several topics, including the academic calendar.
Right now, the website only has three months of this school year filled in.
Shuldiner says new state policy allowing teachers to include the school calendar in bargaining talks isn’t a stumbling block.
“We know every one of our bargaining units puts kids front and center as well as staff. So, when we negotiate any of these unions, it’s always by saying what’s best for our kids and what’s best for our adults,” Shuldiner said.
“So, the work that’s being done in the capitol is wonderful, but it hasn’t impacted our relationships because we are so really thankful to have positive relationships with our bargaining units.”
The new state education budget is expected to provide a boost in Lansing schools.
Shuldiner says those funds will start to roll in by October. He adds it will help bolster at-risk programming, bringing in more staff into the buildings and will take care of much needed structural improvements, like getting air conditioning into buildings that don’t have it.
