St. Mary’s School is preparing to welcome students back for the 2025-26 school year with an eye toward both tradition and future growth.
“We’re preparing for growth and change,” said St. Mary Principal Megan Glynn.
This fall, the school and its parish community will begin a new five-year strategic planning process designed to guide everything from academic offerings to facility improvements and community engagement.
St. Mary will featrue 146 students K-12 this year while focusing on replenishing its staff rankings. More than 90% of students participate in an athletic after school event.
Currently, the Eagles are looking for a science teacher, but a contengency plan remains in place.
St. Mary’s last strategic plan “Vision 2020” concluded during the pandemic, and school leadership see this new initiative as a key opportunity to reflect and adapt.
A new strategic plan will focus broadly on growing enrollment, facility and space assessment, academic offerings, community involvement, and faith integration.
“There’s a growing interest in Catholic education among young families, and we’re already seeing that in our preschool and early elementary levels,” Glynn said.
While no major changes are being made to staff or academic structure at the start of the year, the school is placing renewed focus on reading instruction and student safety.
Glynn said that the faculty participated in professional development seminars over the summer that covered those areas of focus. For example, Glynn herself attended the Michigan State Safety School Academy which taught on school safety and mental health issues that might be impacting students.
“It’s always important to get refreshers on school safety,” Glynn noted. “We want to be prepared to support families and students in every way we can.”
Other teachers received training in the science of reading, which is especially relevant in light of ongoing concerns over post-pandemic literacy declines.
St. Mary’s is also adjusting its student cell phone policy to limit distractions and maintain a focused learning environment.
While the school has long prohibited phone use during the day, this year students will no longer be allowed to carry phones in their bags or on their person.
Instead, phones must be turned off and stored in lockers during the day. This updated approach is inline with national trends as more schools tighten device restrictions.
As a Catholic school, St. Mary’s continues to root its academics in faith. Glynn emphasized that the school doesn’t treat religion as a single subject, but rather as the foundation of everything they do.
“We want students to see how Christ flows through all subjects - literature, science, the arts. It’s a part of everything.”
All in all, St. Mary’s seems poised for a very successful academic year. “We have amazing teachers, administrators, community members, and volunteers who deeply care about this school,” said Glenn. “We’re excited to move St. Mary’s forward.”
St. Mary completed an air conditioning project to the schools infrastructure.
