Office of the Superintendent

District Podcast, End of Year Edition

This edition includes a discussion of highlights from the 2025-2026 school year and a preview of upcoming events and initiatives. 

Listen to the Podcast here or use the following links

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

End of School Year and 2026-2027 Calendar

Thank you for another excellent school year. It continues to be a privilege to serve such an amazing community. I am immensely proud of all that our students and staff have accomplished. News stories highlighting recent WCS achievements can be seen here. The end-of-year Community Newsletter can be read here. 

There are always many exciting events and activities for students over the final week of the school year. Please see the Scenes from Around the District section below for bonus photos.

Lastly, stay connected over the summer via school and district communications. There will be a significant number of important enhancements throughout all the buildings. A lot of hard work will be put into ensuring our students and educators are set up for success when they return. 

Wishing all our students a safe and restful summer break. I look forward to welcoming them back in August. Go Hornets!

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2026-2027 School Calendar

The full 2026-2027 school calendar has been published. It can be viewed on the District Website, on the District Calendar Tool, or at the link here.

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WCS Board of Education School Safety Funding Letter

Read the letter sent to our State Senator and Representatives regarding school safety funding in next year’s state budget.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026. This was an impressive cohort of students who were strong leaders at the high school throughout the year. The group obtained many individual and collective accomplishments. These include eight students graduating with “all As” and another 47 earning Summa Cum Laude (3.9 GPA or above) honors. 

Best wishes to our 2026 graduates! They will go on to accomplish great things and continue to be excellent representatives of Williamston. 
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First Day of Classes 2026-2027

The first day of school for students in 2026-2027 will be Wednesday, August 19th. Additional details regarding the 2026-2027 calendar will be forthcoming. Ingham County Common Calendar dates are already available on the District calendar. 

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High School Parking Lot Paving Project

The high school parking lot project begins on Monday, June 8th. It includes repaving the majority of the lots around the building. Parking for the duration of the project is restricted to the athletic complex lot. The project is anticipated to be complete in mid-July.
 
The diagram below indicates where parking will be available and how to access the facility:

We are racing toward the end of the school year. Thus far, May has been an exciting month for our schools. We celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the new WCS Softball Facility. 

WCS Softball Facility ribbon-cutting ceremony:

We also officially recognized the beginning of construction at Explorer Elementary with a groundbreaking ceremony. Students at Williamston High School participated in their prom. Discovery Elementary was recognized by the State of Michigan as a Green School. The Hornet boys track, girls lacrosse, and baseball teams are completing dominant regular seasons, with the postseason for spring sports on the horizon. And those are just some of the highlights from the first half of the month. More special events are on the way. 

Explorer Elementary groundbreaking ceremony:

I also want to thank the community for the very generous outpouring of support for our staff with Educator Appreciation. The acknowledgments were highly valued and motivating for our team. 
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WCS Staff Retirements

The end of each school year is always filled with excitement and special events. It is also bittersweet as we say goodbye to educators who have been instrumental to Williamston’s long record of success. This year is no exception. Please join me in congratulating and thanking the following 2026 WCS retirees:

• Deb LaFleur - 31 years, Williamston Middle School Principal, Williamston High School Assistant Principal, Teacher
• Danielle Foss - 27 years, Teacher
• Michele Ellis - 26 years, Teacher, Librarian
• Pam VanSickler - 22 years, Transportation Supervisor
• Tom Kirby - 11 years, Custodian
• Brent Tingley - 8 years, Maintenance
• Steve Delp - 8 years, Williamston High School Principal
• Margo King - 4 years, Custodian