KPS News

An individual at Kalamazoo Central High School was recently diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB). Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department (HCS) has notified Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) and confirmed the individual is isolated from others and is currently undergoing treatment.

HCS is working with KPS to identify anyone who may have spent extended periods of time around the person with TB while they were potentially contagious. The identified individuals will be notified soon and provided a questionnaire and information about testing. Testing will be held at the school at no cost to the identified individuals. If you are not identified as exposed to TB, no action is required and testing is not recommended. However, if you choose to seek testing for your peace of mind, you may contact your doctor or the health department.

Staff and parents at Kalamazoo Central were notified earlier this morning and provided the attached letter and fact sheet. KPS is committed to both the person with TB’s right to privacy and protecting the health of all students and staff.

The district is holding a series of community meetings to provide information on KPS initiatives and to seek feedback. Information on these meetings has been sent to families.

Safety and Security/Weapon Detectors

Feb. 10, 6 p.m. at Kalamazoo Central High School Auditorium

Strategic Planning - Community meetings will be held in March and April. More information will be shared once the dates and locations are confirmed.

The KPS Wellness Committee is excited to announce that reservations are open for Fulfilling Our Promise: KPS Wellness Fair 2025.

Join the committee at the fair to enjoy lunch and participate in a whole slate of wellness-related workshops, including mindfulness activities, exercise demos, and make-and-take classes. Committee members are also hard at work finding vendors for the health expo and soliciting donations from the community for giveaways.

ALL KPS EMPLOYEES are invited to attend the wellness fair, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22 at Linden Grove Middle School, 4241 Arboretum Pkwy. (You are invited to bring a guest — although only KPS employees are eligible for the raffle prizes).

Make your reservation by filling out the form at https://forms.gle/eoS8frcjUjFnahoj6 or through the QR code on the flyer.

Register early — by Feb. 1 — to be entered in an Early Bird Raffle and to receive a free T-shirt. The final registration deadline is Feb. 10. Once again the department/school with the highest percentage of participation will win a prize.

The fair is the district’s way to give back to ALL of our employees for their dedication to families, students, and our community. Employee wellness is a priority for the district. We hope you’ll stop by the fair to learn some fun new ways to take care of yourself.

Questions? Contact Lisa Dewey at deweylm@kalamazoopublicschools.net.

If you are an employee with the ORS 3% heath care contribution deduction on your paycheck, please read the following carefully.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has instructed school districts to begin reimbursing eligible employees their actual 3% healthcare subsidy contributions withheld since October 1, 2024.

This reimbursement will occur on the February 14 th paycheck in the form of a negative deduction that will be subject to State and Federal taxes. Here’s an example of what that will look like:

ORS REF 3 %.

-604. 42

However, the State of Michigan still requires school districts to withhold and report the 3% heath care contribution of eligible employees through the end of the State’s fiscal year: September 30, 2025.

Because of this reporting requirement, you will continue to see the 3% HCC deduction withheld from your paychecks through September for reporting purpose. However, you will notice the ORS 3% REF deduction will continue to be on your pay statements, which will have the exact negative amount of your 3% HCC deduction every payroll.

Here’s an example of what that will look like:

ORS 3% HCC

56.37

ORS 3 % REF

-56.37

This will allow the district to comply with the State’s reporting requirements while still refunding the employee immediately and adjusting taxable income appropriately. Eligible employees can expect to see these two deductions through the end of September.

Any questions can be directly submitted to Beth in payroll: jasiakem@kalamazoopublicschools.net.

Thank you for your consideration.

John Lehman's fifth grade social studies classes learned about Colonial Williamsburg last week, and to cap the lesson on Friday, students were invited to dress up in traditional Colonial Williamsburg attire if they chose to.

Western Michigan University School of Medicine doctors stopped by King-Westwood Elementary this week to teach students stethoscopes, nutrition, dental hygiene, taste buds and different careers in the field of science.

Kalamazoo Public Schools United Way Campaign kicks off today and will run through Friday, January 24. This year's campaign will be completed using the United Way e-pledge system, enabling you to donate electronically.

• You can sign in to the KPS pledging website at https://portal.gkuw.org/kps
• Your username is your email, and the password is LiveUnited.
• Once you sign in, you will be prompted to change your password. If doing a payroll pledge, please be sure to put the amount per payroll to be debited and the system will calculate your annual total.

The attached letter from United Way provides additional information. You can learn more about the United Way of South Central Michigan at their website.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me or Karen Townsend (k.townsend@uwscmi.org). Thank you for considering donating to this campaign and helping transform lives in our community.

Superintendent Darrin Slade stopped by Coreen Elllis' first grade class to share a story. Students had fun listening to the story and talking about animals. Dr. Slade promised a return visit with a treat for the class.

Families stopped by Hillside Middle School on Thursday for a Family Engagement Tech Night, which included a buffet dinner, giveaways, and presentations on social media and PowerSchool.

This week Northglade Montesorri Magnet School held a NED's Resiliency Ride convocation. The character-building presentation features interactive activities designed to promote resiliency. NED stands for: Never give up. Encourage others, and Do your best.

At the Administration Building winter brunch on Dec. 20, Dawn Thomas, the director of the Loy Norrix Child Care Center, shared information about the good work the center does in the community. Here is a link to her presentation.

The Administration Building engagement committee launched a scholarship fund for KPS employees utilizing the Loy Norrix Child Care Center. The scholarships will provide tuition assistance to qualified KPS support staff members with a child or children attending LNCC. The scholarship awards will be income-based.

Donations to the scholarship fund can be made through Revtrak or cash can be given to the Business Office.

The Excellence in Special Education Award is sponsored by the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) of Kalamazoo County to honor those persons who have gone above and beyond their role in educating and supporting students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Nominations can be completed online at www.kresa.org/PACNomination and will be automatically sent to the KRESA Special Education office. Paper nomination forms can be turned in to the local district office.

All nominations must be received by the KRESA Special Ed office by Friday, March 7, 2025, to be considered for the current school year. PDFs of nomination forms are attached below.

Do you like to learn? If so, you’ll love the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Western

Michigan University! OLLI at WMU is a community of curious learners and dedicated

volunteers committed to expanding their horizons through courses, trips, and events. Get

more info by scanning the QR code to visit their website, following them at

facebook.com/WMULifelongLearning, or reaching out directly via email at wmu-

olli@wmich.edu!

Assistant School Secretary

Hillside Middle School

JOB ID: 4723

Special Education Resource Room Paraprofessional

Kalamazoo Central High School

JOB ID: 4661

Special Education Resource Room Paraprofessional

Loy Norrix High School

JOB ID: 4725

Guest Paraprofessional

Various Locations

JOB ID:4107

Guest Secretary

Various Locations

JOB ID: 4364

Winchell Elementary School

JOB ID: 4688

Email: communications@kalamazoopublicschools.net

Website: https://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/
Location: 1220 Howard St., Kalamazoo, MI, 49008
Phone: (269) 337-0100
Facebook: Facebook.com/KalamazooPublicSchools
X: @KPSschools

Instagram: kalamazoo_public_schools