Dear DCS Students, Families, and Staff,
Fall sports are in full swing, band camp was an overwhelming success (as usual), summer camps are wrapping up, and it is almost time to see our students back in our buildings for the 2025-2026 school year. Below are a few information items as we prepare for the start of the school year:
- Bond Update: Thanks to the support of our entire community, bond preparations are in full swing. The new scoreboard at Al Ritt has been installed and is ready for our first games at the stadium, we’ve begun the architectural planning for the secure entrance at the high school, the new weight room at the front entrance of the high school, enhancements to Al Ritt Stadium, the field house design, enhancements to several athletic fields, the career technical education addition at DHS, the Wylie addition, and the CPA sound replacement. Soil borings are in motion to test soils for additions/renovations, plans for the new restroom building at the twin turfs are under state review, and we’re excited to make the vision presented in the bond a reality for our students and community.
- Breakfast/Lunch Update (Please Read): The State of Michigan, along with federal funds, has paid for free breakfast and lunch for any Michigan public school student for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, we are not able to promise that this program will continue past the end of September and want to provide enough notice to families. By law, the Michigan legislature must pass a school aid budget before the end of June but did not. The State of Michigan’s budget year runs from October 1st - September 30th. As of right now, we know we have funding to continue providing free breakfast and lunch to any student through the end of September. However, it is looking less and less likely that the program will continue starting October 1st. This will require any student who does not qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch prices to either bring lunch or purchase breakfast or lunch at school. To apply for Free or Reduced Lunch benefits, families should visit: https://dexter.familyportal.
cloud/ or complete the attached paper application. Also attached is a document that includes the income eligibility information. More information is also available at: https://www.dexterschools.org/ departments/fandn. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we prepare for this potential change.
- Multigenerational Community Center Update: Thanks to nearly $10 million in state appropriations, federal appropriations, and county grants, the Dexter Senior Center has officially moved into its permanent home on Baker Road. A special thank you goes out to AR Brouwer for their generosity and commitment to the community through this project. In addition, a special thank you goes out to Dr. Sharon Raschke, who has been serving as the Senior Project Manager. As a result of Dr. Raschke’s work, AR Brouwer’s commitment to the community, and 5 Healthy Towns’ commitment to the Dexter Community, we successfully purchased the Dexter Wellness Center and constructed a 9,000+ square foot Dexter Senior Center for under $10 million dollars. These facilities will forever be in our community thanks to the generosity and commitment of so many people who care deeply about the success of the Dexter community. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, August 15th, at 10 a.m. to commemorate the final steps of this project.
- Host Families Needed: Every year, DHS hosts several international students from around the world. Our community has always embraced this experience and welcomed students into their homes. My own family hosted an international student years ago, and it was an incredible experience. We have three students still looking for host families. Some of our partners offer monthly stipends to support the cost of an additional teenager in your home. If you are interested in learning more or potentially hosting any of the following students, please reach out to the contact identified for each student:
- Two students from Thailand and South America. Monthly stipend provided. The student(s) will travel with his/her own spending money and health insurance. If you are interested, please contact Erin Freshour from Educatius at (616) 301-4241 or erin.freshour@educatius.org.
- A student from France. Monthly stipend provided. The student will travel with his/her own spending money and health insurance. If you are interested, please contact Cheryl Da Silva from PSE at 617-710-5700 or cdasilva@pse-edu.org.
Thank you for your continued support and Go Dreads!
Sincerely,
Christopher Timmis, EdD
Superintendent
P.S. As always, Beat Chelsea!
- 2025-2026