Office of the Superintendent

There have been numerous articles published recently in the media regarding student attendance concerns in Michigan schools. The percentage of chronically absent students has increased statewide over the past several years. Students being absent from class negatively impacts overall academic results as well as the ability of schools to provide social-emotional supports and other wrap-around services. 

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of scheduled school days and/or class periods. That equates to missing 18 or more classes/school days in a year. 

Williamston has done comparatively well with student attendance during this period. During the 2024-2025 school year, 9% of students at Williamston High School were chronically absent. The percentage of chronically absent students in other Ingham County high schools ranged from 18% - 63%. 

Source: mischooldata.org 

Successful student attendance rates are due to a number of factors. It starts with parents who are committed to having their children at school, on time, and ready to learn. It continues with our school staff who create safe learning environments and engaging educational opportunities for our students. We are doing (proportionally) well, but there is always opportunity for improvement. Unfortunately, systemically improving student attendance rates is a complicated and often difficult endeavor for schools and communities.

Preliminary data from this school year indicates that our attendance rates might be decreasing. If your household has been working through various illnesses since Winter Break, like mine has, we certainly understand that will influence attendance (and to be clear, sick students should not be at school). As spring approaches, we want to ensure every student has the chance to maximize their potential. Educators will often say, “I can’t help them succeed if they are not here.” Let’s continue our collective focus on maintaining strong attendance so that our educators can maintain our high standards. Thank you for your ongoing collaboration and support with this important matter.
 

Construction of the new Explorer Elementary school will begin on or about February 13, with the addition of temporary parking locations in the existing Explorer staff lot. This will be followed by the assembly of construction fencing, outlined in Red on the diagram below. During the project, the sidewalk connecting Vanneter Road to the elementary campus will remain accessible. For students and parents using that path, the updated route is outlined below in Blue. Construction is scheduled to begin on March 2 after fencing is complete and safety signage is posted.

The project is anticipated to be completed in August 2027. Progress updates will be provided as construction moves forward. Bond news will continue to be posted monthly under the “Bond Updates” button on the District homepage. 

Overview of the Explorer Elementary project:

District Podcast

This edition includes a discussion on the recent district accomplishments, upcoming events, and snow days. 

Listen to the Podcast here or use the following links

iTunes -  http://bit.ly/wcshornets
Tune In - http://bit.ly/wcs-tunein

New District Accolades:

As we begin 2026, WCS earned several new academic recognitions. Williamston Middle School and Explorer Elementary joined Williamston High School on the U.S. News and World Report best schools lists. They earned these recognitions based on state assessment results. 

Additionally, Williamston High School was named to the AP Honor Roll by the College Board for the third straight year. This award is based on the percentage of students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses and results on the AP exams.  

Congratulations to our students, educators, and parents on their continued success in these achievement metrics.