KPS News

Feb. 14, 2025

Planning to Retire? Remember this Deadline

This is just a reminder that the last day for early retirement/resignation notification to the district is March 1, 2025.

Please refer to your current union contract to see if this applies to your group and to see if there are any incentives that may be available for early notification.

Please remember that you need to complete the current school year in order to be eligible for any incentives that are referenced in your union contract.

Sweet Valentine's Celebrations

Woods Lake Love of Learning Pancake Breakfast

Northeastern Sweetwater's with Sweethearts

And ... a Northeastern Valentine's Dance!

Virtual School Students Hold Class - IRL

KPS Virtual sixth grade science students recently got their hands dirty in real life, when teacher Jodi Heaney held one of her popular real-world laboratory experiments.

Heaney played mad scientist while the students wrapped up a unit on the human body as a system. Students explored how the nervous and musculoskeletal systems work together to keep us moving, thinking, and reacting to the world around us.

Through microscopic investigations, they examined the intricate building blocks of life — cells and tissues — using prepared slides, uncovering the unseen details of these essential subsystems. The adventure didn’t stop there.

Students got a rare, up-close look at real animal organs, handling a sheep brain to study its structure and function, and dissecting chicken legs to observe how muscles, tendons, and bones work in harmony. By comparing these animal specimens to the human brain and gastrocnemius muscle, they uncovered fascinating similarities in anatomy and function across species.

Celebrating 100 Days of Kindergarten

At MIlwood Elementary School, teachers Ms. Rudolph and Ms. Boyd celebrated the 100th day of school on Feb.5. Teachers and students dressed as 100 year old's, and played fun counting games and made crafts.

King-Westwood staff as well as students enjoyed the 100th day of school by imagining what they might look like when they are 100 years old.

Northeastern students made crowns to celebrate 100 days of school. Students received foam fingers on Count Day - to signal the school was happy it could count on them.

From Payroll: Michigan Earned Sick Time Act – Hourly Employees

Beginning Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, all hourly employee groups NOT covered under an existing bargaining contract will begin to accrue sick leave hours. Employees currently covered under an existing bargaining contract are already compliant with this legislation.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Starting Monday, Feb. 17, for every 30 hours worked, hourly employees — including substitutes — will earn one (1) hour of paid sick leave.

• Sick leave hours will be tracked and recorded through the payroll process. This means employees will see their available sick leave balance updated on the payroll in which the sick time was earned, in line with the hourly pay schedule (included here).

— For example, if an hourly employee works 60 hours the pay period of Monday, Feb. 17 - Friday, Feb. 28, this time will be paid on Friday, March 14, and two (2) sick hours will be accrued to the employee’s hourly sick bank.

• Hourly employees can see their available sick balance in Time and Attendance and on their pay statement.

• Hourly employees can request to use their available sick balance using Time and Attendance. Instructions on how to make that request are included here. Instructions for supervisor approval in Time and Attendance are also included here.

— Time may be requested in no less than quarter hour increments.
— The total sick leave request for one day may not exceed the typical hours worked in a day for that hourly employee.

• Substitute employees including sub teachers, sub paraprofessionals, sub administrators, and sub secretaries can request to use available sick time on the timesheet they submit their subbing hours on. The sick hours will be paid, and the employee’s sick accrual bank will be adjusted by payroll.

• These employee absences DO NOT need to be tracked on the bi-weekly A & S report. They will track and request their own time via Time and Attendance or timesheets.

• Employees are permitted to use sick leave time for sick-related absences as outlined in the attached “Michigan Earned Sick Leave Act” document, under the Earned Sick Time Uses section.

• Earned sick leave hours will carry over from year to year with unlimited accumulation.

• Kalamazoo Public Schools will not limit the number of sick leave hours used in a year.

• Sick leave hours are not paid out upon the employee’s separation of employment.

• If an employee separates employment from Kalamazoo Public Schools and returns within six (6) months, they will maintain their existing sick leave balance and continue to accrue on it. If an employee separates employment and does not return to the District within six (6) months, they will forfeit their sick leave balance.

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Next Stop ... France and Spain

Travel Club at Loy Norrix is excited to announce the destination for the summer trip of 2026! Travel Club will be traveling to France, the Mediterranean, and Spain July 6-15, 2026! This 10-day trip includes Paris, southern France (on the Mediterranean Sea), Barcelona, and Madrid.

Travelers will tour iconic landmarks in both countries as well as re-enact the French Revolution, take fencing and calligraphy classes, and participate in a culinary class in Spain. Anyone who signs up by March 6 will receive $350 off the cost of the trip. Scholarships for students are available up to $600. Students who travel can earn three college credits at no extra cost.

An informational meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Feb. 26, 2025 in room D-11 at Loy Norrix. You can also join with this Google Meet Link. If you have any questions, please contact Anna Ward at wardal@kalamazoopublicschools.net .

From Payroll: ORS HCC 3 Percent (Link Added)

For more information go to:

https://www.michigan.gov/psru/reporting-resources/faqs-for-mpsers-healthcare-reimbursement

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.

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