The Berkley School District

THE BERKLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS LONG GARNERED ACCOLADES FOR ITS STUDENTS.

Berkley High School has repeatedly been named a best high school by U.S. News & World Report, the Berkley Music Program has been recognized annually by the National Association for Music Merchants as one of the best Communities for Music Education since 2012, both the orchestra and choir have been invited to play at Carnegie Hall and Da Bears 247 robotics team has won numerous awards.

And that’s only naming a few of the district’s honors. “We’ve always enjoyed deep support from our community for our schools, whether from business-es or families who don’t have kids or families of students,” says Jessica Stilger, Director of Communications for Berkley Schools. “That deep support is one of the wonderful pillars of this community.”

That support also led to voters in Berkley passing a bond for the school district in August of 2023. With over 69% of voters saying “yes,” the community will now be able to invest in a wide array of improve-ments District-wide, including classroom furniture, multi-purpose additions, performing arts upgrades and additions, athletic upgrades and additions and technology.

“The goal of the bond was to upgrade our facilities so that they’re at the same level as our award-winning programming,” explains Jessica, noting that throughout the planning process, school officials met with a large number of stakeholders, from students to parents/guardians to interested community members.

“We wanted to make sure that what we were considering also resonated with those who were highly involved in the district and those who represented the voices of hundreds of commun-ity members.” (More info about the bond details can be found at www.berkleyschools.org/bond.)

WHILE THE BOND THAT VOTERS PASSED IN 2015 ADDRESSED BEHIND-THE-SCENES ASPECTS like electrical, lighting, HVAC, bath-rooms and security, the new bond will bring more visible improvements for students, staff and the greater community. This includes a complete overhaul of the auditorium at Berkley High (which is where elementary students and middle schoolers also perform) and a new 75-yard field house available to athletics teams, physical education classes, the BHS marching band, District robotics teams, the BHS community and community groups.

Attendees at Hurley Field will notice upgraded lighting, parking, concessions, restrooms and more. Students in all programs will benefit from improved facilities – the science labs will be getting their first updates since 1994! – as well as overall better scheduling for various spaces.

FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN THOUGH ADDING MULTI-PURPOSE AND CAFETERIA ADDITIONS to elementary schools may not seem glitzy, Jessica points out that doing so will free up space in the buildings for a better daily flow – not using the gym for lunch and every school-wide gathering and phys ed will mean greater flexibility for a variety of programming.

“This bond is allowing us to tap into almost every nook and cranny in the district and make an impact,” says Jessica. “For us to be able to have facilities that match the level of commitment that our phenomenal staff has to our students is something we’re pretty excited about.”

And for District residents who have little ones at home, come February, it’ll be time to register their kids for kindergarten. Next stop: discovering all that the schools have to offer!

For more information on the Berkley School District,

please contact the administrative office at 248-837-8000

or visit www.berkleyschools.org