Grand Rapids

Two high schools, newly renovated, await return of students

Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

Two major renovation projects at Ottawa Hills and Union high schools are part of a 30-year, $175 million school improvement bond approved November 2015 with the majority, $155 million, earmarked for construction...

City, schools come together to create green schoolyards for students

Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

A new green schoolyard for Burton Elementary/Middle is one of four such projects the City and Grand Rapids Public Schools will complete in the next 12-18 months...

In class, online, both? Parents, students wrestle with choices

Back to School 2.0 Karen Gentry

Students, parents, teachers and others share their feelings about the start of this school year...

Inspiration from others fuels his ambition

Student Leaders Phil de Haan

A political hopeful prepares further during a national conference for student leaders...

Ready or not, school year begins as leaders adopt plans to teach, protect students

Back to School 2.0 Charles Honey

With most of Kent County’s public school districts opening next week, superintendents talk about their plans to educate students while trying to keep them safe from an unpredictable virus...

Several factors considered in GRPS reopening plan

Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

While many local school districts are beginning the school year with only a few weeks of online learning, Grand Rapids Public Schools, the largest of Kent County's districts, will do online-only education until the end of its first marking period, Oct. 21...

Forest Hills Eastern student takes top honors in Ford essay contest

Forest Hills School News Network

Isabel Gil took first place in the 2020 President Gerald R. Ford Student Writing Challenge, while Nina Lu and Ethan Magley earned honorable mentions...

State funding drop drives $10.6 million budget cut

Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

At a meeting on Monday, June 29, the Grand Rapids Board of Education approved a budget for 2020-21 that includes $10.6 million in cuts...

Stepping into leadership at a time of school change, social upheaval

Grand Rapids Charles Honey

Leadriane Roby, the new superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools, comes to the post facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and social upheaval around the George Floyd protests...

The Class of 2020: learning to roll with it

Multi Districts Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

From 9/11 to the coronavirus, the Class of 2020 saw and experienced tremendous change within their school careers and young lives...

The year of schooling at home: hard work, loneliness and little blessings

School 2.0 Charles Honey

In this time of distance learning, parents like Keshia Alhasan have truly lived the adage that parents are their children’s first teachers...

Students speak out on protests, call for ‘a better America tomorrow’

Multi Districts School News Network

For area students, the ongoing protests over police brutality could be a teachable moment, a call to action or both...

Setting out with a camera to change the world for the better

Grads with Grit Charles Honey

Mariah Barrera, who has already made her mark with several award-winning short films, plans to pursue her passion at Columbia University in New York City...

‘A GRPS education can take you anywhere’

Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

GRPS alumni have a new place to come together to share stories that will uplift and bring people together...

Teachers send love to students; students say right back atcha

School 2.0 Charles Honey

With school abruptly ended for the rest of the year, we’ve seen how deeply teachers care about their students -- even across the chasm of social distancing – and how much their students miss them...