LCS Supt's Corner

Congratulations to the Class of 2024! As we approach the end of the 2023-24 school year, I would like to THANK our students, staff, families, and community for their ongoing support. Over the course of this past year we saw many successes from academic achievements, continued work through the LCS Bond Program, development of a pre-apprenticeship program for 2024-25, as well as providing more opportunities for students through courses, clubs, and events.

Thank you for allowing LCS the opportunity to be involved in your student's development, and thank you for your continued support of our GREAT school district.

Linden High School was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the 2nd Best High School in Genesee County. Linden High School ranked #3,378 Nationally, and #112 in the State of Michigan. According to U.S. News & World Report schools are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college. Congratulations to LHS and the entire Linden Community School District.

In 2018, Linden Community Schools developed and implemented a new Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is designed to guide the district's direction to create an educational institution that creates a successful academic and non-academic environment for all stakeholders. Every year, Linden Community Schools reviews and updates the Strategic Plan to create a continuous improvement cycle for our students, staff, and community. Over the past few years, the LCS Strategic Plan has been a constant in providing direction for the success of the Linden Community School District.

Over the past few years, your voice has been heard. The feedback you have given, through the Strategic Plan Survey, has provided the following guidance and enabled Linden Community Schools to focus on what matters to our students, staff, parents, and community.

• Safety and Security: We have added additional security cameras, secure interior and exterior doors, additional door access controls, a district-wide two-way radio system, added a school resource officer, employed additional hall monitors, and we have enhanced our threat assessment processes.

• Student Opportunities (curriculum): We have added STEM to our elementary and secondary curriculum, disciplinary academic coaches at the elementary and secondary levels, implemented a Business Program and Pre-apprenticeship Program at Linden High School, expanded Community Education programming, and an E-Sports program for our secondary students.

• Social and Emotional Learning Support: LCS has added a counselor at Linden Middle School and Central Elementary, school nurses, social skills facilitators at Linden Middle School and Linden High School, and have partnered with Balance Life Counseling, Linden, MI, and Genesee Health Services for additional supports for our students.

• LCS Bond Program: Progress continues to be made with our community supported bond program. The bond proposal addresses our needs in four general areas: 1) Enhance student safety and school security, 2) Expand and enhance the instructional environment, 3) Modernize, upgrade, and construct school facilities, and 4) Upgrade technology and technology infrastructure.

As we move forward, your voice and feedback is important to the continued success of our district. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey to help us determine the impact our Strategic Plan is having on the Linden Community School District. Your feedback will help LCS continue to grow and strive to stay true to its Mission Statement, "to educate, nurture, and develop all learners to be self-directed and to strive for excellence with confidence and integrity by working cooperatively with students, staff, parents, and community."

LCS Strategic Plan Survey 2024 (click link to take survey)

The survey will close on Sunday, May 26, 2024.

On April 17, 2024, the LCS Board of Education approved Dean Transportation as Linden's transportation provider beginning for the 2024-25 school year. In February; Linden, Lake Fenton, and Fenton (through the 3-District Consortium) produced a Request For Proposal (RFP) to allow for a competitive bid process for our transportation service. The 3-District Consortium bid process looked at cost and operational advantages to our district through economies of scale. This included access to additional drivers, additional buses, fuel purchases, maintenance personnel, bus garage space, transportation support staff, and our Tier II and Tier III consortium transportation. Using a 3-District bid approach saved the consortium over $1 million dollars over a five year period. Even though a 3-District approach was taken, all three districts will transport their students separately. Meaning, Linden students will ride with Linden students.

There were many benefits to making a transition to Dean. These benefits include having fully staffed routes, additional buses and drivers available for field trips and athletics, financial savings to LCS, higher wages for drivers, along with providing transportation for the 3D Tier II and Tier III students.

The transition between First Student and Dean has already begun, including the opportunity for current Linden bus drivers to be hired by Dean and remain a Linden bus driver.

Over the past 20-plus years, First Student has provided excellent transportation for LCS, and for that we thank them.

The LCS school calendar for the 2024-25 school year has not been finalized and/or published. The determination of the school calendar is done through the negotiation process between Linden Education Association (teacher's union) and the LCS Administration. Once a school calendar is established, we will share with all of our LCS families.

The LCS school calendar for the 2023-24 school year can be found on our website.

Progress on the LCS Bond Program continues to be made.

• Occupancy of the newly renovated ART/LAA and STEM spaces at Linden High School was granted by the SOM in April. Some classes have relocated from their temporary locations back into the newly renovated spaces.
• Electricians have continued with large scale lighting and electrical upgrades throughout LHS, including the auditorium's house and theatrical lighting system, gymnasium balcony, choir room lights, new lighting for the original robotics room, and about one-third of the gymnasium lights have been replaced.
• Continued expansion of new fire alarm system at Linden High School.
• Demolition of six (6) large HVAC units in the South mezzanine of LHS.
• The HVAC system for the LHS weight room was changed out and A/C was added into the space.
• Final painting and flooring completed in the LHS media center.
• New media center furniture for LHS started arriving.
• The north end of the existing main office space at LHS was shut down for demolition and reconstruction.
• The new secure entryway is well underway, new walls and ceiling are already in place.
• New ceilings in the original robotics room (LHS) were installed.
• Various areas at LHS had abatement work completed.
• New doors and specialty hardware continue to be installed throughout LHS.
• New LVT flooring for the North academic area at LHS is complete.
• Demolition and abatement has begun at Hyatt Elementary for the Argentine ECC relocation, this work will continue throughout the month of June.

Continuous communication is a goal of the district and part of the district's strategic plan. Having a dedicated District Facebook Page, Twitter following, Instagram presence, and an up-to-date website allows Linden Community Schools to communicate news, event, and updates on a larger scale. Jump on board and follow us on our social media pages.

Linden (along with Fenton, Lake Fenton, and Holly) is partnering with Tri-County Times

to showcase the awesome educators we have in the TC Times viewing area. We want to showcase the positive impact Linden educators are having on the lives of our students.

Every Wednesday, TC Times will spotlight a selected individual in their "Everyday Educator" Column. Meet the Everyday Educators from Linden Community Schools.

Everyday Educators: Meet Shaun Liss (February 6, 2024, TC Times)

Everyday Educators: Meet Pam Nicoll (March 5, 2024, TC Times)

Everyday Educators: Meet Jennifer Gambrel (April 2, 2024, TC Times)

Everyday Educators: Meet Becky Joslin (May 1, 2024, TC Times)