Dear Inland Lakes Families and Community,

As we close out another school year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you—students, staff, families, and community members—for your continued support, dedication, and partnership. This year has been filled with growth, learning, and important milestones for Inland Lakes, and I’m incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished together.

With the final day of school upon us, our attention now turns to the exciting work ahead. Starting the week of June 9th, our bond-funded construction projects will officially begin. Thanks to your overwhelming support, we are moving forward with major upgrades to both the elementary and secondary buildings. These improvements include security enhancements, site and lighting upgrades, new playground equipment, interior classroom renovations, and updates to critical systems like heating, roofing, and electrical.

While we know construction can bring temporary inconvenience, it’s also a sign of progress and investment in the future of our students and staff. Our goal is to create safer, more modern, and more engaging learning environments—spaces that truly reflect the pride and spirit of Inland Lakes.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the summer and look forward to welcoming students back to a new school year with improvements underway and more on the horizon.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us build a stronger future for Inland Lakes.

Warmly,
Elizabeth Fairbanks
Superintendent, Inland Lakes Schools

Attention ILS Secondary Students- The Indian River Library will be hosting a tween club on Wednesday's from 2:30pm until 4pm. Each week will be different, if you have questions please call 231-238-8581- Go Bulldogs!

Dear Indian River Community,

I’m writing to inform you about an important change in the way Inland Lakes Schools will collect taxes. Starting in the summer of 2025, we will shift from our current winter-only tax levy to collecting taxes twice a year—once in the summer and once in the winter.

While the total amount of taxes you pay will remain the same, this new approach will allow us to better manage our finances throughout the year. This shift aligns with a growing trend among Michigan school districts to adopt dual tax levies, as it provides significant financial advantages. By spreading the tax collection over two periods, we can maintain a steadier cash flow throughout the year and avoid cash shortfalls that force us to borrow from the state.

Currently, relying on a winter-only tax levy means we often need to request state aid during the summer and fall months. This requires taking out loans that come with, at times, high interest payments. This adds unnecessary costs to our district's budget. By switching to a dual tax levy, we can reduce or eliminate the need for these loans & interest payments allowing us to continue our priority of fiscal responsibility. This also ensures that more of our financial resources are directed toward the high-quality services and programs that benefit our students and staff.

This decision not only allows us to be more efficient with our resources but also places us in a stronger financial position to support future initiatives and needs without relying on borrowing. It's truly the best decision for the long-term financial health of our district.

We appreciate your understanding and ongoing support as we make this transition to a more sustainable and cost-effective system.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Fairbanks, Superintendent

Tim Burg, School Board President

We are incredibly grateful for your support in passing the May 2024 bond! Thanks to your generosity, we’ve been able to equip our classrooms with new BenQ interactive boards, which are already making a huge difference in student engagement and learning.

These boards are bringing lessons to life, sparking creativity, and allowing for more interactive, hands-on learning. Your commitment to our schools is helping us build a brighter future for all of our students.

Thank you again for your ongoing support! GO BULLDOGS!

We’re excited to welcome a new school bus to our fleet! This addition will provide safer, more reliable transportation for our students every day.

Thank you, Inland Lakes, for your continued support! Together, we’re making a difference. Go Bulldogs!

Email: efairbanks@inlandlakes.org
Website: https://www.inlandlakes.org/
Location: 4363 South Straits Highway, Indian River, MI, USA
Phone: 2312386868
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilsecondary