Mary A. White Transition

February 28, 2025

Update from Superintendent Perkowski

Greetings, Buccaneer Community,

I am reaching out to provide an update on the recent announcement regarding plans to change Mary A. White Elementary into a nature-based early learning center next school year. We deeply regret the way this announcement was received, and we acknowledge that we missed some opportunities to help deliver the message with more care and compassion.

We want our community to know that we see you, we hear you, and we are committed to doing better. Moving forward, we are recommending this proposed plan be added as an agenda item for discussion and a vote during the March 10 Board of Education meeting. Doing so will allow for our school board to listen to community feedback and make a decision that prioritizes what is best for our district, all of our students, and our community.

As a next step, Tuesday’s Finance and Operations Board Committee meeting will be held at 4:30 PM in the Education Service Center at 1415 Beechtree Street. This meeting will include a presentation that provides a wider view of our district’s current financial reality, key factors impacting that reality, and some of the other cost-saving measures that are being explored in addition to this plan. There will be time for public comment at the start of the meeting. Those wishing to provide comments will have up to three minutes to speak. As is the case with all Board Committee meetings, the board does not take action on comments or questions made during public comment. Rather, the board will make note of all public comments and questions, and commenters will receive a response from the district, as applicable.

The March 10 School Board meeting will be held at Lakeshore Middle School beginning at 7:30 PM after the scheduled board workshop. This meeting will follow the same public comment protocol used at Board Committee meetings, as outlined above. The agenda for the meeting will be posted online on Friday, March 7. This information can be found on our website at: https://www.ghaps.org/board-of-ed/board-meeting-agendas--minutes/

Thank you for your continued partnership in the educational experience of our GHAPS students. We will continue to provide updates as they become available. You can find answers to frequently asked questions we have received so far regarding the details of the plan at ghaps.info/faq. New questions and responses will continue to be added and updated periodically and marked with the date of change.

Further questions can be submitted at ghaps.info/mawquestions. 

Yours in Education,

Kristin Perkowski
Superintendent
Grand Haven Area Public Schools