Dear Mustangs,

The 2025-2026 school year is off to a wonderful start. This school year, our focus remains clear: ensuring that every student in Meridian Public Schools is supported, challenged, and inspired to thrive. Guided by our district strategic plan, we remain committed to advancing the priorities of student achievement, staff support, school safety, and community engagement.

In the 2024–2025 school year, all of our schools achieved the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) Level 1 Certification, affirming that we have built a safe, supportive, and collaborative culture across the district. This milestone is a direct reflection of the dedication of our staff and the support of our families and community.

With Level 1 accomplished, we are now moving forward with intentional focus on Level 2: Effective Teaching in Every Classroom and Level 3: Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum. These efforts center on strengthening high-quality instruction, creating high standards for learning, ensuring curriculum consistency across classrooms, and aligning learning opportunities so that every Mustang has equitable access to success.

The work we are engaging in this year may not be flashy or immediately visible, but it is foundational. By investing in instructional practices and curriculum alignment, we are laying the groundwork that will have a lasting impact on the preparedness of our learners as they move forward in their continuous journey of learning. This hard work by our educators will ensure our students are not only ready for the next grade level, but also for college, careers, and life beyond Meridian.

These efforts are directly aligned with our strategic plan’s vision of empowering Mustangs to be resilient, fearless learners who thrive in an ever-changing world. With the dedication of our educators, support staff, the support of our families, and the strength of our community, I am confident that this year’s focused work will pay dividends for years to come.

Thank you for choosing Meridian Public Schools!

With Mustang Pride,

Sarah M. Glann, Superintendent

• We believe that every individual can learn and succeed.

• We believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor.

• We believe that a supportive culture fosters an environment that is physically and emotionally safe.

• We believe that overcoming challenges with resiliency is a key step to success.

• We believe that innovative learning practices encourage curiosity.

• We believe in building trust between students, staff, families, and the community.

• We believe in preparing every student for today, tomorrow, and THEIR future.

Meridian Public Schools is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and high-achieving learning environment for every student. To guide this work, we use the Marzano High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework, which helps schools grow step by step in five key areas:

• Safe & Collaborative Culture – Supportive, respectful, and inclusive learning
  

• Effective Teaching in Every Classroom – High-quality instruction for all students
  

• Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum – Consistent, rigorous learning across grades
  

• Standards-Referenced Reporting – Clear communication of student progress
  

• Competency-Based Education – Students advance as they master skills

All three Meridian schools have earned Level 1 HRS Certification, confirming that our schools are safe, supportive, and collaborative—an important first step in our multi-year journey.

Our Focus for 2025–26
In Year 2 of our HRS work, we will:

• Develop and implement proficiency scales to clearly define learning expectations
  

• Strengthen Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to support instruction and student success
  

• Continue Level 1 efforts to maintain safe and collaborative school cultures

Through this work, we are building a strong foundation to help every Meridian student thrive.

For more information, go to our High Reliability Schools page under the District tab of our district website https://www.merps.org/page/hrs.

An important issue unfolding in Lansing could significantly impact our students, staff, and educational programs in the coming months.

State law requires lawmakers to approve a K-12 school funding budget by July 1st each year to ensure school districts can plan and operate with stability. That deadline has passed, and as of now, no agreement has been reached. While there is no desire to cause alarm, it is important to note that without a budget in place, the state faces the risk of a government shutdown on October 1st. If this occurs, critical school funding payments could be delayed.

If the Legislature fails to act, schools across Michigan will miss their first state aid payment, scheduled for October 20, 2025. This payment is essential for:

• Paying teachers and staff

• Maintaining class sizes and student support services

• Operating buses, providing meals, and supplying classrooms

• Supporting academic programs, the arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities

Schools cannot function indefinitely without these vital resources. The solution is straightforward: lawmakers must pass a K-12 budget that protects School Aid Fund dollars for their intended purpose—educating Michigan’s children.

We encourage everyone to contact their elected representatives and urge them to prioritize  a student-centered budget without delay. Contact information for Michigan legislators can be found at:https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Legislature/Legislators.

As we begin the 2025–2026 school year, we want to thank you for your partnership in helping keep our students safe. A critical part of that safety is making sure all families follow our Safe Driving Guidelines while on campus — especially during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.

To help ease congestion and ensure a smooth start to the day, doors at Meridian Junior High School and Meridian Elementary open at 7:30 AM. We encourage families to take advantage of this earlier access to help reduce traffic backups.

General Safe Driving Reminders

• Stay focused: Avoid distractions like cell phone use while driving on campus.

• Follow traffic flow: Be patient, courteous, and aware of pedestrians at all times.

• Use crosswalks: Always yield to crossing students and staff.

Meridian Elementary Drop-Off Guidelines (Curb Lane)

To keep traffic moving efficiently and students safe:

• Pull forward as far as possible before stopping. Each vehicle behind should do the same.

• Unload anywhere along the sidewalk once traffic has stopped — our goal is for 8–10 vehicles to unload simultaneously.

• Be ready: Have backpacks on, hugs given, and goodbyes shared before you reach the sidewalk zone to help keep things flowing.

Important:
If you need to get out of your vehicle to assist your child for any reason — unbuckling a seatbelt, helping with a backpack, walking them to the door — you must park in the designated spaces in the high school parking lot. Then, safely walk your child across to the sidewalk at the end of the elementary building. Do not exit your vehicle in the drop-off lane. This creates delays and safety hazards for others.

Your commitment to these practices plays a vital role in maintaining a safe, welcoming environment for all. Thank you for doing your part to help every Mustang start and end their day safely.

Events for each building at the links below:

Meridian Early Childhood Center: https://www.merps.org/o/early-childhood-center/events

Meridian Elementary School:https://www.merps.org/o/elementary-school/events

Meridian Junior High School: https://www.merps.org/o/junior-high-school/events

Meridian Early College High School: https://www.merps.org/o/early-college-high-school/events

To help us continue providing this important service to all students, we are asking every family—regardless of income level—to complete the Education Benefits Form. This form supports our ability to:

• Secure continued state and federal funding for free school meals

• Fund academic programs and student services

• Potentially qualify your family for additional support

Online EBF Form link: https://meridian.familyportal.cloud/ 

Printable link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12862sN4zTVnN55ub5oKAKch9F0JDNaAd/view  

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out:

Taylor Roberts
Food Service Director – Chartwells
📧 foodservice@merps.org | taylor.roberts@merps.org
📞 989-687-3212

Athletic Sports Passes for the 2025–2026 school year are now on sale in the High School Office!

Passes are available for families ($180), individuals ($70), and seniors age 60+ ($10), and they cover admission to regular season junior high and high school athletic events (excluding tournaments). Payment can be made by cash, check, or credit/debit card—pay online https://payments.efundsforschools.com/v3/districts/55802.

Game-day admission is $6 for high school events and $4 for junior high. Pre-K is free, and MECHS students (grades 9–12) receive free admission with student ID again this year!

📅 Check out the full sports schedule at this link. For questions, call 989-687-3302 or email bridget.vandongen@merps.org or mitchell.bohn@merps.org.

Quick Highlights:

• 🏠 Family Pass: $180 (covers immediate household)

• 👤 Individual Pass: $70 (non-transferable)

• 👵 Senior Pass: $10 (age 60+)

• 🎟 Gate Admission: $6 HS / $4 JH / Free for Pre-K

• 🎓 Free for MECHS students (grades 9–12) with ID

Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) – Free Preschool for 4-Year-Olds
Meridian’s GSRP still has a few openings for the 2025–2026 school year!
Children who turn four years old by December 1, 2025 are eligible to attend Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

This free program includes:

• Daily breakfast, lunch, and snack

• Bussing within Meridian district boundaries

• All field trip costs

📅 Program runs from September 2, 2025, through mid-May 2026.

Apply today at www.preschoolpartnership.org or call Julie Sheets at (989) 687-3460 for more information.

Three-Year-Old Preschool – Tuition-Based Program
We also have limited spots available for our Tuition-Based Preschool for 3-year-olds!
Children who turn three years old by December 1, 2025 may attend Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

💲 Tuition is $625/month for eight months, and includes:

• Daily breakfast and lunch

• A warm, welcoming first school experience filled with hands-on learning and fun

📅 Program runs from September 2, 2025, through early May 2026.

Apply now at www.preschoolpartnership.org or contact Julie Sheets at (989) 687-3460 or at julie.sheets@merps.org with questions.