By Crystal Hayduk
Former Chelsea School District Superintendent Andy Ingall (2012-15), who is now a consultant with the Michigan Leadership Institute, led a presentation about the district’s strategic planning process at the board of education (BOE) meeting on April 22, held at South Meadows Elementary School.
Superintendent Mike Kapolka said a group of administrators and BOE VP Eric Wilkinson have been working with Ingall on the strategic planning process since last October.
Ingall said that after a community survey, visits with stakeholder groups, and a work session in January, the advisory team put together a plan for the next three-to-five years that will involve continued assessment and improvement.
Chelsea High School (CHS) Principal Dr. Nick Angel and Michelle Hilla, director of curriculum and instruction, assisted Ingall with the presentation.
Focus areas for the next three years will include prioritizing the Portrait of a Graduate (POG) skills, strengthening engagement with the school community, and improving all aspects of health and safety.
The Four Cs—communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking—will remain a part of the POG, while adding comprehensive and community to the mix.
The board is expected to vote on the plan at its next meeting.
The full presentation can be viewed on the videorecording of the meeting here. It runs from 12:06 to 31:45.
Angel introduced Joe Welton, the new physical education teacher at CHS. Welton replaces Josh Lucas, who resigned in December. Welton graduated from CHS, and returns after teaching for 12 years in Saline Area Schools. At Aquinas College, he majored in physical education and minored in speech. He earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University.
With trustee Erin Hunt-Carter absent, the board approved the hiring of Adam Schilt as the assistant principal at Beach Middle School. Schilt has served as interim assistant principal this school year, since Dr. Luman Strong’s resignation last August resulted in shifting of members of the administrative team.
Schilt earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky, and his master’s degree from the University of Michigan. He has been a teacher in the district since 2016.
In his superintendent’s report, Kapolka said the district will begin working with Care Solace, a service to help students, staff, and parents to access mental health support. The service is expected to begin on May 1.
He also said the CHS Personal Finance Team, under the leadership of Matt Pedlow, recently won the state championship for the seventh year in a row. (Related story coming soon.)
District calendars for 2024-25 and 2025-26 are available on the website to assist families with planning vacations and holidays, said Kapolka.
Two people addressed the board during the opportunity for public input. One stated several concerns, including safety issues, teacher-student ratios, and the strategic planning process. The other praised the efforts of the CHS Key Club students who helped with the Faith in Action volunteer appreciation dinner on April 11.
In other board news:
April Students of the Month (North Creek Elementary student Presley Myers and South Meadows student Liliana Hammond) were introduced. (Related story will be published soon.)
The top five CHS seniors named to the SEC 2024 All-Academic Team are Lillian Snyder, Cyprus Gabriel-Menegay, Ryan Frederiksen, Wynne Van Hoek, and Gavin Taylor. The students are selected through a formula using core subject GPA and standardized testing performance. The students represented CHS at a banquet on April 24 in Ann Arbor.
Upcoming dates:
There is no school April 29 for students; professional development day for teachers.
The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on May 6 in the board room at the Washington Street Education Center (WSEC).
