Mason Minute- September 9, 2026

September 9, 2026

Congratulations to the members of Mason FFA for their success during the Ag Olympics! The group kicked off the school year with events like corn toss, egg toss, tire flipping and chopstick kernel races! Learn more about Mason FFA including how to get involved or support the organization.

The Little Library outside the Harvey Education Center (HEC) made it through last week's storms, however, most of the books inside were damaged by the rain and wind.

Help HEC refill their Little Library by donating children's books your family has outgrown or no longer needs. Books can be placed directly into the Little Library outside the building. Please only donate books appropriate for children ages 3-6. Thank you for helping rebuild the library!

The Mason Community Education Fall Enrichment Guide is now available and enrollment is open. Check out the guide for classes and programs happening this fall.

Mason Middle School is home to the Mason Optimist Closet (MOC), a collection of food, school and personal hygiene supplies available to students and their families.

Donations are currently being accepted for the MOC. Requested food items include meat sticks, canned meat, protein bars, granola bars, soup bags, pasta side dishes, fruit cups, vegetable cups, applesauce, crackers and shelf stable microwave meals. In addition, personal hygiene and household items are requested including conditioner, shampoo, deodorant, band-aids, individually wrapped toilet paper rolls, toothpaste, shaving cream and body lotion. Donations can be dropped off in the main office at Mason Middle School in the donation box labeled "food". Thank you for supporting our school community!

Mason Public Schools (MPS) has posted signs near sinks and bottle filling stations in school buildings in compliance with Michigan's Filter First law. The signs are part of following the new state law, not because there is, or was, a problem with the drinking water in any MPS buildings.

Michigan’s Filter First law was put in place to help protect students from lead that can sometimes get into drinking water through old pipes or fixtures. The law says that schools and child care centers must:

• Install filtered bottle filling stations and filter faucets used for consumption
• Test the filtered water fixtures annually
• Post signs that show which water sources are safe to drink from and which ones are not meant for drinking (like water used for hand-washing)

The signs are there to help clearly identify which taps have filters and are approved for drinking, and which taps are only meant for washing hands.

The safety of our students and staff matters, and by following the Filter First requirements, we can help everyone feel confident about the drinking water in our schools.

If you have any questions about Filter First or want to know more, please contact the Operations Department at operations@masonk12.net.

The 2026-27 state school budget again includes funding for free meals for all public school students. This means all Mason Public Schools (MPS) students will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch for the 2026-27 school year.

A reminder, while meals are free, students must purchase milk (when sold separately from a meal), any a la carte items and extra main entrees. Please check your student’s lunch account often to ensure adequate funds are available for these purchases. If you have questions about lunch options or adding money to your student’s account, contact the Food Service's office at 517.676.6529. A list of a la carte pricing is available on the Food Service website.

Families are also reminded to please take a moment to complete the 2026-27 Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals. This form collects information needed to ensure MPS receives state and federal funding. In addition, based on the information you provide on your application, your student may qualify for other programs including:

• Summer EBT
• Pay to Play or Pay to Participate assistance
• Programs that provide food support
• Programs that provide field trip support
• Programs that provide school supplies or assist with school fees
• Programs that provide holiday support

Schedule for August 26 - December 18, 2026

Family Open Swim

• Fridays: 7 - 9 PM
• Saturdays: 1 - 3 PM
• No Open Swim: September 12, 18, 25 and 26; October 2, 9, 16 and 23; November 27 and 28; December 12
• Cost: $4/adult, $3/student or senior, punch cards available
• Note: Open Swim will close after one hour if there are less then five participants

Water Fitness (ages 14 and up)

• Monday and Wednesday: 7:15 - 8:15 PM
• Shallow water class only
• No class: September 9, and 30; October 14, 19 and 21; November 25
• Cost: $7 at the door, punch cards are available

Adult Lap Swim (ages 18 and up)

• Tuesday- Friday: 6 - 7:30 AM
• No lap swim: October 9; November 25-27
• Monday and Wednesday: 7:15 - 8:45 PM
• No lap swim: September 9 and 30; October 14 and November 25
• Cost: $6/person, punch cards are available
• Saturday: 7 - 8:30 AM
• No lap swim: September 12 and 26; November 28 and December 12

Mark your calendars for upcoming events and activities. A full calendar of district happenings is available on the Mason Public Schools website. Additional Board of Education (BOE) meeting information is available on the Board of Education website.

• Thursday, September 10- Regular BOE Meeting, 7 PM
• Thursday, September 17- BOE Policy & Community Committee, 5:15 PM

• Thursday, September 17- BOE Curriculum & Staff Committee, 5:15 PM

• Thursday, October 1- BOE Finance & Property Committee, 5:15 PM
• Friday, October 2- Homecoming Parade and Football Game
• Friday, October 9- No School

Join the Mason Public Schools team and make a difference in the lives of our students each day! Check out our current job openings and learn more.