Back to School

U.P. school districts were busy with excitement this morning as students returned to the classroom.

With more than 3,100 students in the Marquette Area Public Schools, it was a well-orchestrated effort this morning to get every student to the right place and on time.

The Marquette district has some changes to deal with this year.

More than 40 MAPS employees from last year have retired.

Some interesting facts about the new hires: about 23% of the new staff is male and 77% is female.

Three–quarters of the new teachers graduated from NMU.

65% have previous classroom experience, and 27% have master’s degrees.

Other changes in the district mean Bothwell Middle School will be home to nearly 900 5th-grade through 8th-grade students.

No more than 15 middle school students were allowed to participate in the new Eastside Academy, an alternative middle school program

It’s set up shop at Graveraet School, along with the alternative high school’s student body of more than 120 9th-through-12th-graders.

That’s double last year’s enrollment.

The Ishpeming School District started class for the year at noon today.

There was a great of activity at Phelps Middle School just before the doors opened.

Ishepming schools will have almost 900 students this year.

Back in July, the school board voted to close Phelps next summer.

Students in 5th through 8th grades will then attend class at the Central School/Ishpeming High School complex.

The district has recently completed several building projects at the complex, including sidewalks, exterior steps, hot water heaters, and 412 new lockers.

Five new teachers were hired to maintain smaller elementary class sizes.

And as ABC 10’s Mike Hoey reported a few weeks ago, the district received a $100,000 technology grant from the U.S. Department of Education.