Superintendent Newsletter

Dear Lansing School District Community,

I hope that this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to email you all.

I can't believe the school year is almost over. This will be the penultimate newsletter of the year. Next week, I am sure I will talk about graduation and how wonderful it was. I will write about how great the year was and all of our accomplishments. I will discuss ways we still have to improve and how we can all work together. However, today, I want to address one specific focus we are embarking on — improving parent engagement with our schools.

Our families are amazing. You all care deeply about your children, as well as the community writ large. Over these last four years, I have met so many of our families at events, at the supermarket, at our Family-Superintendent Roundtables, etc. Every family member always asks about ways they can help support our district. One clear way is to create or strengthen the PTO at your school. Having a vibrant, active, and engaged PTO is a cornerstone of a highly functioning school. I appreciate that families are busy, and attending a monthly meeting might be challenging. I also appreciate that sometimes we as a district don't make these organizations easy to join or become involved in. Thus, this summer, we will embark on a full-scale effort to find effective ways to establish a fully operational PTO at every one of our schools. We even have a dedicated point person, Jason Salhaney, to assist all our schools in preparing for next year.

Our goal is that by October 1, 2025, each and every one of our schools will have a PTO, including officers, a bank account, a calendar of meetings, and at least one planned school event. I know this sounds like a heavy lift, but I know that with everyone's help, we can make this happen. Jason has a letter below to help start this process. If anyone wants to get involved, please reach out to him at jason.salhaney@lansingschools.net or, of course, feel free to email me directly. I am very excited about this work.

Thank you so much for all of your incredible support of our district. Together, we will do great things for the children of Lansing.

Benjamin Shuldiner, Superintendent

Lansing School District

We are excited to share that the Lansing School District is working to establish or strengthen Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) at every school. Whether your school is just beginning this work or already has a PTO in place, your involvement is essential to making it successful.

We are gathering interest now so we can plan and build strong, active PTOs in the fall. Whether you’re a parent who’s already involved or someone who’s never joined a school committee before—we want you at the table.

Why get involved?

Research consistently shows that when families are engaged in their child’s education, it leads to real results:

• Higher academic achievement
  
  

• Stronger social-emotional development
  
  

• Better attendance and increased sense of belonging

Your participation helps shape the school experience—not just for your child, but for every student. Whether you have an hour a week or just want to help occasionally, every contribution matters.

Ready to help?

Fill out the Parent Interest Form and we will follow up with details and opportunities as we prepare for the fall.

Let’s build something great—together.

Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2025 take place Saturday, June 7, at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University. Friends and family who cannot attend in person can view the ceremonies live by visiting the district's website at www.lansingschools.net.

Start times for each high school are as follows:

• Sexton High School: 9:00 a.m.
• Everett High School: 12:30 p.m.
• Eastern High School: 4:00 p.m.

The Lansing School District is accepting new students for the 2025 - 2026 school year. Families can complete the required application at the button below. If assistance is needed, please reach out to our enrollment team at 517-755-2820.

The K-2 summer camps at the Equine Center for Learning are already full,

but there are still opportunities for 3-5th graders, and 5-8th graders!

Check availability and sign up here!

The Lansing School District has gathered critical graduation information and links for families to plan a successful senior year and graduation day. The resource web page is being updated with new information as it becomes available, please bookmark the page and check often.

June 3 — Adult Education & WIOA Graduation Ceremony | 5:00 p.m.| 5815 Wise Rd.

June 3 — CAK12O & LLH Graduation Ceremony | 6:30 p.m.| 5815 Wise Rd.

June 4 — Half Day | High Schools Only

June 5 — Half Day | High Schools Only

June 5 — Board of Education Meeting | 6:00 p.m. | 519 Kalamazoo St.

June 6 — Half Day | Last Day of School

June 7 — Class of 2025 Graduation | Breslin Center | 534 Birch Rd, East Lansing

Sexton 9:00 a.m. | Everett 12:30 p.m. | Eastern 4:00 p.m.

June 19 — Juneteenth | District Closed

Did you know that you can subscribe to our calendars?

Visit www.lansingschools.net/district/calendars, select the school(s) whose calendar you would like to subscribe to, and tap the tiny calendar at the top right. For more detailed instructions, click here.