Superintendent

We are thrilled to share that construction on the 2025 Bond projects at Dexter High School is getting underway this summer — and the results are going to be transformative for our students and our community. We know that any major construction comes with some adjustments, and we want to make sure you have the information you need well ahead of the fall. Here's what will look and feel different when you drop off, pick up, or visit DHS in the fall...

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow marks the beginning of May. For many, May kicks off the end-of-year events; however, we can assure you that teaching and learning will continue with purpose and focus through the final day of the school year. For our seniors and their families, we recognize that this month brings a mix of excitement and reflection. We hope you are able to fully enjoy and cherish these meaningful moments of celebration. Seniors and their families should also be on the lookout for important information from the DHS administration regarding Honors Night, graduation procedures, and commencement. Keep reading for lots of upcoming events and district news. 

Dexter Community Schools is pleased to announce the selection of Theresa  Stager as the next principal of Dexter High School. With more than thirteen years of experience in educational leadership and eight years of classroom teaching, Stager brings a strong record of instructional leadership, collaborative culture-building, and a deep commitment to student success.

Dear DCS Students, Families, Staff, and Community,

Thank you for everything you do to make this such a wonderful community for our students and everyone in Dexter.  As my last communication, I'd like to share a short video of what makes Dexter Community Schools and the entire Dexter community so special for kids.  Please feel free to share the video widely.

Welcome to Dexter Community Schools Video

Thank you and Go Dreads!

Sincerely,

Christopher Timmis, EdD

Proud Retired DCS Superintendent

Important updates from Assistant Superintendent Ryan Bruder, including topics such as snow days, KG and Y5 Info Night and Open House, Schools of Choice applications, the 2026-2027 school calendar, Academic Programming Videos, WISD Family Engagement Survey, and the football head coach transition. 

Dexter Community Schools will be closed on Thursday, January 15th due to inclement weather. Jenkins childcare will be open.  A decision regarding afternoon and evening events will be shared by noon.  Thank you and Go Dreads!P.S. We expect email videos and photos of sledding!

DCS School Resource Officer, Corporal Gerrod Visel, has retired. While we will miss his daily presence in our buildings, we are grateful for the lasting impact he has made on our school community. We are pleased to introduce Brian Ward as our new School Resource Officer. Deputy Ward has twelve years of experience with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department, where he has served as a Police Training Officer and as the Assistant Team Leader for the Crisis Negotiation Team.

UPDATED WITH EVENING EVENT INFORMATION

Due to current and projected inclement weather that is making driving on secondary roads dangerous for buses, Dexter Community Schools will be closed today, Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Jenkins ECLC will remain open with a two-hour delay.

• Half-day preschool programs at Bates are canceled. 
• Community Education afterschool classes (those that start before 6pm) will be canceled. 

We will make a determination about evening extracurricular and athletic activities, evening community education programs (those starting at 6 or later) and facility rentals by mid-day and notify families via email. 

Dreadnaught Fans! 

We are conducting a messaging system ahead of the snowy season to ensure we have accurate contact information for families and staff so you can receive all notifications. The test message will go out sometime after 6pm on Thursday, Nov. 20th.

If you do NOT receive an email, text, or robocall please send an email to your student's school with the info within the next few days. If you have students at several buildings, you can cc: a single message to all applicable building offices at the same time. Over the next two weeks we will be updating info that needs correction in the system, hopefully ahead of inclement weather.

No School Today for DEEC and Mill Creek Middle School – Friday, November 14, 2025

Due to unexpected building issues, Dexter Early Elementary Complex (DEEC) and Mill Creek Middle School will be closed today, Friday, November 14, 2025. Students and staff assigned to these two buildings should not report.

All other Dexter Community Schools buildings and programs are operating on a normal schedule.

We will provide an update later today as more information becomes available. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.

On Friday, November 4th, our technology team will implement upgrades to our phone menu system. This means that the system will be down between 1pm and 4pm. During this time, people will not be able to call in to any line with a choice menu (lines that require you to push a button or dial an extension to proceed). 

We picked this time because it will impact the fewest number of people due to the half day. Community Education will still have no-school students. They will have someone monitoring their email communityed@dexterschools.org so they can respond to urgent messages. 

If you have an urgent message for someone else in the district, please call 734-424-4102,  send a message to that person’s direct email address, or send one to info@dexterschools.org. Keep in mind that our call volume will likely increase so you may not get through immediately. If you can handle your query via email, please go ahead and do so. Otherwise we will respond to or relay your message as soon as possible. 

An important update from the Board of Education regarding pending updates to the DCS sex ed curriculum, including background, process, next steps, and parental involvement. Also includes links to detailed information about SEAB and Michigan law on this subject. 

With the planned pause of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits in November — and the chance the pause could last longer — many of our Michigan neighbors may have a harder time keeping food on the table this winter. Nearly 1.4 million people could be affected in our state.

Local food banks and community organizations will need extra support from all of us to meet the growing demand. Together, we can make sure no one in our school community goes without food this winter. Below are resources for families who could use extra food support, as well as routes to help others in need. Please contact the organizations directly for more information or to get involved.

National School Bus Safety Week is October 20-24th. This public awareness campaign is an opportunity for school staff, families, and community members to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety. 

Attached to this message is the Fall 2025 Transportation News and Transportation News

We want to let you know that the phone number we use to send school text messages has changed.

Starting today, you’ll receive SMS text messages from our new number: 97178.

Please note that messages will no longer come from our previous number, 54968.

This change was made to improve the reliability and speed of our text message delivery. We encourage you to save the new number (97178) to your contacts so you recognize our messages right away.

On October 22nd, 2025 there are two more opportunities to review the proposed updated sex education curriculum. Both are at Bates Boardroom: 2704 Baker Rd., Dexter MI 48130

• 9am-11am
• 12pm-2pm

There will be two public hearings regarding the proposed updates:

• November 3, 2025 7pm as part of the regular Board of Education Meeting
• November 10th, 2025 7pm at a Special Board of Education Meeting

Click Read More below for additional information about providing feedback.