Dear Families,

I cannot believe that another school year is coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming our students back from summer vacation. This will be the last edition of MacGregor’s Message for the school year. 

In this edition of MacGregor’s Message

• Celebrating the Class of 2025

• 2025 Retirees

• Highlander Reading Express

• Spring Co-Curricular Highlights

• Summer EBT program

• Livingston County Health Department Ready, Set, School Event

• Backpacks for Kids

This week, we celebrated the Innovation Academy Class of 2025, and next Friday, we will celebrate the Howell High School Class of 2025. The journey to graduation is different for each student, and every diploma represents obstacles overcome, goals achieved, and years of hard work. Throughout that journey, our students have been supported by incredible teachers, staff members, administrators, family members, and friends, with each playing a vital role in helping them reach this milestone. As members of the Howell Public Schools Class of 2025 leave our halls and begin the next chapter of their lives, I am confident that wherever their journey takes them, they will accomplish incredible things.

This year, we are honoring 29 dedicated retirees who together have contributed an incredible 676 years of service to Howell Public Schools. Representing both teaching and support staff roles, these individuals have made a lasting impact on our students, families, schools, and the Howell community. Their unwavering commitment, care, and contributions have helped shape generations of learners and strengthen the foundation of our district. We are grateful for their service and wish them all the best in their well-earned retirement. 

This spring has been filled with outstanding accomplishments by our student-athletes. The Boys Baseball and Boys Golf teams were crowned KLAA Champions, with the Boys Golf title believed to be the first KLAA team championship in program history. Luke Downing also earned the KLAA Individual Golf Championship. Our Track & Field program is sending multiple athletes to the state meet, including the 3,200-meter relay team of David DeLand, Drake Wallace, Jack MacGregor, and Lucas Wood, as well as individual qualifiers: Jack MacGregor (3,200-meter regional champion), Bryce Kish (second place, 100-meter dash), Emma Kanka (regional champion in shot put and discus), Rory Gregory (high jump regional champion), Norah Hull (second place, high jump), and Romen Williams (high jump state qualifier, fourth place at regionals). Our high school archery team earned the Centershot 3D National Championship. Jordyn Kratz finished second in the national Middle School 3D Challenge, while Noah Helig and Kaden Rouster were named 2025 All-American Academic Archers. In tennis, Estie Sura is a state qualifier after winning the Regional Championship in #1 Singles with an impressive 17-1 record and earning the #7 seed in the state tournament.

The Highlander Reading Express, the district’s mobile library, is back for another summer of fun and reading! This unique resource brings books into our community, helping students stay connected to learning all summer long. Thanks to a generous grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, we are undertaking the most significant update to the Highlander Reading Express book collection since its launch in 2018. In collaboration with our media specialists, we’ve added many of today’s most popular books and series, which will be available for checkout throughout the summer. For the full schedule and stop locations, visit HowellSchools.com/ReadingExpress.

This summer, eligible families can receive additional grocery-buying benefits through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) program, also known as Sun Bucks. Funded by the federal government, this program provides $120 in food benefits per eligible student to help supplement meals while school is out. Benefits are automatically issued to families already participating in programs like SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid (within income guidelines). Families who are not automatically enrolled may still apply. To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, visit https://bit.ly/4kbxOHm or call the MDHHS Summer EBT hotline at (833) 905-0028.

Mark your calendars for the Livingston County Health Department’s Ready, Set, School! Event, a free health and safety fair for families with kids ages 0–12. Join the fun on Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 2|42 Community Church in Brighton. Enjoy free services like immunizations and vision screenings, plus fun activities including Touch-A-Truck, crafts, and a Pop-Up Safety Town. No registration is required. Learn more at https://bit.ly/LCHDRSS.

The annual Backpacks for Kids event will be held on Thursday, August 7, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Howell High School 10-12 Building, in the south (Grand River) parking lot. This event, held in partnership with the Livingston ESA, provides backpacks and school supplies to families in need. Livingston ESA is currently accepting donations of school supplies to support this important program. To learn more about the event or find out where to donate, please visit https://bit.ly/3ACumSa.

Please remember that there is no school on Monday, May 26, in honor of Memorial Day, and Friday, May 30, is our last day of school. As has been our tradition, we have created last day of school signs, which you can download at https://bit.ly/4jcrVby. 

I hope you have a great weekend, an outstanding last week of school, and a wonderful summer break.

Sincerely,
Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Howell Public Schools