ELPS families provided more than 500 bags of food to some students’ families for Thanksgiving. They hope to do so again for Christmas with the community’s help.
The ELPS School Board met on Monday night for a relatively short meeting where it took action on return to in-person learning and construction at Whitehills and Pinecrest.
ELPS continues to consider reopening in January and looks to what metrics to consider. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
A stacked City Council agenda, another meeting of the Police Oversight Study Committee, School Board, and more. Alice Dreger reports.
School rankings don’t determine goals for development and improvement at ELPS, but they highlight and provide opportunity to celebrate the district’s strengths.
Debbie Walton, Elizabeth Guerrero Lyons, and Monica Fink will replace Erin Graham, Hillary Henderson, and Nichole Martin on East Lansing’s Board of Education.
The East Lansing School Board approved the proposed plan that allows for students to return to in-person learning as early as January, but the return is not a guarantee. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott explains.
What did game day look like in East Lansing look like on Saturday? And what will happen to students who violated public health orders? ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott and Heather Brothers report.
ELi is following the happenings on game day and getting you prepped for the next week of meetings in ELPS and City of East Lansing government. Andrew Graham brings you up to speed.
ELPS Superintendent Dori Leyko and Director of Curriculum Glen Mitcham presented a plan for students to return to in-person learning in January. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott provides the details ahead of the Board’s vote next week.
How come the School Board meeting was cancelled, but the City Manger held an East Lansing government meeting last night? ELi’s Alice Dreger explains what’s been happening.
ELi’s Alice Dreger gives you a fast rundown of what’s coming in public meetings in East Lansing this week. Check it out.
ELPS will continue online for October, but the Board would like to see a plan for returning to in-person instruction as parents explain why they have removed their students from the district’s schools.
Players and coaches have been hoping for the chance to play since the season was canceled in August. Now they’ve got their shot.
Dr. Jane Turner and ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott interviewed the 8 school board candidates. Watch the interviews here.
ELPS School Board Vice President Terah Chambers, who is also an MSU professor, has been working to lower costs for dual enrollment.
ELi brings you the list of houses now quarantined. We also explain what some critics have to say about the local approaches being used.
The Board heard more from the Superintendent about when kids will return to school and got an update on the free-meals program. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
Neighborhood members came to the public hearing to explain why they wanted to have the boundaries changes. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
Says the Health Department: “more stringent and mandatory restrictions will be imposed if students do not comply and break the transmission cycle.” ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
A public hearing on the matter will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 15. ELi brings you details on that.
Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail is now plainly calling on students to stop partying, warning that “Sicker, older people will get it and die.” ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
The data made available so far show just how dramatic the spike is. The recent surge of cases appear to be tied to multiple parties in the area. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
With the MSU student population pushed off campus and into town, new approaches to public health messaging, academic support, and discipline are emerging. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
How does the show go on during a pandemic for the ELHS Trojan Marching Band? ELi Summer Youth Journalism Program graduate Adan Quan brings us the story.
Sign up to have all the virtual workshop materials delivered to your door from the MSU Broad Art Lab.
Why are these eight people running? What issues do they see as urgent? We asked to bring you the answers.
The total number of undergrads living off-campus could even be higher than normal because of tens of thousands of students displaced from the dorms moving into off-campus housing.
What happens at ELPS is tied to what happens at MSU. But what’s happening with MSU undergrads remains uncertain.
Rinard Pugh has been named the new Principal for ELPS’ Red Cedar Elementary School. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott spoke with him about his background and vision.
Who are the eight people running for three open seats on East Lansing’s School Board? Emily Joan Elliott reports for ELi.
The dorms are closing to protect health. What about what’s happening in off-campus, party-prone housing?
MSU announced late Tuesday afternoon that it is suspending in-person learning for undergraduate courses for the fall semester. The impact on East Lansing will be significant.
Mask enforcement in East Lansing is turning out to be tricky. Emily Joan Elliott brings the details.
Outdoor parties will be limited to 25 people under a new County Health rule applied to part of East Lansing. How will this work in practice?
School Board Member Chris Martin is looking at other districts’ plans and thinks that ELPS is too far behind. ELi asked the rest of the School Board and the Superintendent to respond.
Wear a mask in the Downtown Development Authority district or face a polite ambassador. Persist in not wearing a mask and face a $25 fine from the police.
“I don’t see plan for bringing students back, just a plan to make a plan later,” said School Board member Chris Martin. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports from the meeting.
Confusion over complex and rapidly-changing Executive Orders from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office contributed to the Covid-19 outbreak at Harper’s. What else has been learned?
“We live in a system and a culture that encourages us to only think about ourselves,” Bacon said in her speech. “Fight that powerful urge.”
Yesterday saw a moment of joy and celebration at East Lansing’s high school football stadium, with Andrel Anthony Jr.’s family there to share the big moment.
During public comment and the board’s discussion, the stress of the situation was often palpable. Emily Joan Elliott reports for ELi.
Expect to see signage around town encouraging students to be personally responsible in order to “stay safe to stay open.” ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
Superintendent Dori Leyko will offically tell the East Lansing Public Schools Board tonight that classes need to start remotely for the next school year. ELi brings the details.
Many restaurants and bars downtown will now refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask. What else is happening to prepare for fall?
As the Harper’s cluster count hits 85 (with no hospitalizations), graduate Teaching Assistants are questioning the wisdom of on-campus teaching this fall. Emily Joan Elliott reports for ELi.
“The March Against Fear” started at East Lansing’s City Hall and Police Department and ended at the MSU President’s house. Andrew Graham reports, with photos from Gary Caldwell.
What happened at School Board this week? ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott brings you the story.
As Harper’s closes for cleaning, ELi hears from the owners about what they say the City has done wrong. What’s going to happen here come fall?
Readers are asking what we can expect when MSU starts in-person classes back up in the fall. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports what we know so far.
News on The Abbot, The Graduate, affordable housing, Coleman Road, the new elementary schools, MSUFCU’s downtown project, and marijuana sales locations. We also tell you where in East Lansing the state’s wetland protection agency plans a new office building that would disturb a wetland.
Here come requests to sell recreational marijuana, the superintendent’s (closed door) review, teacher and police retirements, and so much more. ELi keeps you informed before the decisions are made.
This week, a majority of Council okayed new vests in spite of concerns they might appear too militaristic. What was the reasoning, and why are ELPD officers firing guns when they do?
The Policy Committee of the Board discussed several major changes under consideration. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott attended the meeting and reports back.
ELi brings you the results of the school district’s survey of elementary, middle, and high school parents. What did they report back about the stay-at-home learning experience?
The district’s seventeen employed administrators, almost all of them white, are committing to changes. How did School Board members react?
ELi’s staff has been spending a lot of energy trying to find out when and where the East Lansing School Board and its committees are meeting.
About 56% of ELPS students are white, while about 96% of the teachers are white. Students, parents, and School Board members talked to ELi about why this matters.
A reader asked: What’s the jurisdiction of ELPD versus MSUPD?
Three members of East Lansing’s School Board pushed for movement on a fall plan at a meeting with the Superintendent last week. What’s happening now?
“We tried to create an environment that worked for everyone,” Kelsey Mongoven explains. A junior at MSU, Mongoven has taken on the responsibility of head coach for the Trojans’ varsity gymnastics team.
Vincent Watson has been a true hero through his 47 years of service in East Lansing Public Schools, positively influencing the lives of thousands of children and young adults.
“It’s going to be scarier for the city than I think it is for campus,” Beier said about MSU’s decision to reopen in the fall.
The reopening of MSU has major implications for East Lansing in terms of the economy, public health, business survival, housing, neighborhood cultures, policing, and more.
This week, ELi’s Mark Meyer brings a remembrance of baseball coach Ed Outslay, who passed away a year ago doing what he loved.
Chris Martin wants open conversations about what to do with regard to the start of the next school year. The entire School Board will talk about the superintendent’s evaluation on Tuesday.
The impact of the pandemic on MSU is shaping the individual and collective lives of the greater East Lansing community.
The Policy Committee of the East Lansing School Board met on Friday to consider recommendations to the full Board about the districts’ policies.
Plenty of big-time college football coaches are eager to add Trojan of the Week Andrel Anthony Jr. to their lineups.
A lot of worrisome news from Monday’s East Lansing School Board meeting.
The ELPS School Board unanimously passed a resolution not on the agenda, encouraging the banning of weapons at the Michigan State Capitol.
We bring news on construction at all six elementary schools, including what we know so far about the finances.
Former Trojan Zoe Morse has elevated her soccer-playing career to the professional level. Mark Meyer speaks with her as she prepares to join the Chicago Red Stars.
We tell you what we know so far about what will be discussed at City Council, School Board, and the DDA.
Erin Graham thinks ELPS students may be left at a serious disadvantage under the district’s policy. The administration believes equity is at stake.
What’s happening with Newman Lofts, police oversight, big downtown construction, and more? ELi brings you up to speed.
Andrew Lane trains as hard as he competes (if that’s possible). He also leaves a large footprint as one of the top distance runners in ELHS history.
It’s a good thing the East Lansing Public Schools district has saved millions of dollars to prepare for economic declines.
ELi brings you information about agendas and tells you how you can attend.
Schools of choice numbers, graduation cancelled, ELHS ranking, elementary school construction delays, and much more in our School Board report.
ELi is working to help you figure out when important local government meetings are happening.
Nikki Norris believes lessons learned on the field can bring a lifetime of value. She’s lived that ideal in her career.
When the Responsible Hospitality Council learned of the ELPS need, its members quickly took action.
East Lansing Library Teen Services Specialist Beth Scanlon is not letting the pandemic get in the way of her work supporting area youth.
Internal emails give a glimpse into what led up to the Continuity of Learning plan that begins Week 1 today for East Lansing Public Schools.
With work halted under the governor’s orders, it’s unclear what East Lansing’s elementary schools’ populations will be facing next year.
Superintendent Dori Leyko gave more details last night on the district’s plan to restart teaching, and announced free meal distribution would start again.
Every month MSU employees work from home means significant lost revenue for the City of East Lansing’s new income tax.
Haslett Public Schools have geared back up. But East Lansing’s still haven’t. The School Board meets tonight.
In the first of a new series celebrating Trojan athletes, ELi’s Mark Meyer features the skills and record of senior Aaliyah Nye.
Health concerns for those working on meal distribution are significant, and the number of people being fed through the system suddenly doubled.
When will life in East Lansing return to normal? And what’s happening to faculty and international students?
When word of the season cancellations became known, athletic director Nikki Norris was thankful to be able to immediately connect with her staff. ELi’s Mark Meyer files this report.
Under a new executive order, school buildings will remain closed for the rest of this school year. But what about the education of East Lansing Public Schools’ kids? Emily Joan Elliott reports.
ELi reporter and ELHS student Alex Hosey reports on what East Lansing High students have been experiencing in the last few weeks. What have been our teens’ activities and concerns?
ELi’s Anaiis Rios-Kasoga reports on what the Black Student Union at East Lansing High School has been doing to promote self-love, insight, and community.
A group called “EL Neighbors and Communities Help Each Other” has been working to serve the needs of vulnerable populations during the pandemic.
Lansing Area Fedral Credit Union (LAFCU) will award two high school seniors $2,500 each for their essays on the impact that technology has on their lives. ELi’s Noa Kuszai provides the details.
A tech-savvy team is running a 3-D printing operation out of East Lansing High School to supply emergency face masks. Marie Adele Grosso reports for ELi on how you can help.
What’s it like being an international student at MSU during the rapid changes caused by the pandemic? ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott spoke with Ramya Swayamprakash and Liao Zhang to find out.
What’s it like reporting during a pandemic? ELi reporter Emily Joan Elliott and photographer Gary Caldwell share their experiences.
The East Lansing schools-based system for emergency food distribution is changing starting now, and meals will be available for seniors on Wednesday.
Why do death rates tell us more than test results can? What will save lives as the virus spreads? ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott brings you the latest important information from MSU epidemiologist Nigel Paneth.
East Lansing Mayor Ruth Beier is angry that the federal, state, and county governments did not act much sooner on COVID-19. ELi spoke with her just after the Governor’s stay-at-home order.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer isn’t the only East Lansing Public Schools parent who wishes kids could keep learning for credit during the public health emergency. What’s going on?
The shift to online learning happened with little warning at MSU. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott brings this inside look at the rapid and monumental change at East Lansing’s core institution.
MSU has confirmed two more cases of COVID-19 in the university community. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott brings the latest numbers.
When will the high school athletic seasons — winter and spring — resume, and in what format? ELi’s Mark Meyer files this report.
The Census Bureau is saying students who normally attend school here should be counted as living here for the census. But will they be?
An MSU epidemiologist and resident of East Lansing tells ELi he has never seen such a public health threat in his life. And he’s worked in public health for over 40 years. Read why Dr. Nigel Paneth is alarmed.
Mayor Ruth Beier has declared a state of emergency in East Lansing. We tell you in practical terms what that means.
ELHS students were caught off guard with all the uncertainties facing them as Michigan schools were closed. Amalia Medina brings ELi the story.
MSU is taking further action to try to get its undergraduate population in particular to stop hanging out in large groups that might spread the coronavirus. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
The East Lansing Public Schools administration has announced plans for feeding children during the public health emergency now ongoing. Here are the details.
UPDATE (4:30 p.m. Thursday 3/24/20): Tonight’s MHSAA girls basketball regional championship game between East Lansing and Holt has been postponed indefinitely, as has Friday’s boys district championship game between East Lansing and Grand Ledge. The boys state swimming and diving finals, as well as the girls gymnastics finals, and state hockey finals, have also been suspended.
East Lansing Public Schools’ superintendent told district families this afternoon, “We are in the process of making plans for if/when we are directed to close.” ELi’s Alice Dreger reports.
Superintendent Dori Leyko explains the latest delay in the completion of building projects at both Donley and Glencairn elementary schools.