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Back to School
Key Dates / Info Bus Notes
What you need to know before school
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Need to Set Up Transportation?
If you are new to the area, or want to use school transportation this year, contact the Transportation Department as soon as possible to be placed on a route. Call 269-694-7940.
Your Child’s Bus Information
The Transportation Department will mail a postcard to every student on our bus routes; it will include their bus driver’s name, the bus number and animal as well as expected pick-up and drop-off times.
Reminder: Kindergarten Parents
There is no bus pick-up for kindergartners on the first day of school, since it is an Open House. Bus service for kindergartners will begin their second day of school on August 17th.
Patience, please
There may be delays in pick-up and dropoff times for the first few weeks of school as everyone gets acclimated to a new school year.
Contact Us
If you have questions about bus service, routes, times, etc., contact the Transportation Office at 269-694-7940.
Orientation / Open House:
Alamo Elementary - August 16th
Dix Street Elementary - August 17th
Washington Street Elementary - August 17th
*Exact times and details will be mailed to your home with welcome back letters.
First Day of School (1st-5th)
Kindergarten Open House
Kindergarten 1st Day of School
August 21st
August 21st
August 22nd
Middle School
6th grade Parent Meeting: August 14th, 6pm, MS Auditorium
6th grade Camp: August 15th, 9am - 2:30pm
Open House (6th-8th grade)
August 17th, 6 - 7:30pm
First day of school: August 21st
Elementary High School
Freshman orientation:
Open House
August 16th, 1-2:30pm
August 17th, 5:30-7pm
First day of school: August 21st
Preschool
Learn ‘n Grow Early Childhood Education Center
Parent Orientation: August 15th & 16th
*Specific times and details were sent via email
First Day of School: August 21st or 22nd (depending on age/program)
For all things Back-To-School: otsegops.org/back-to-school
SCHOOL START / END TIMES
Regular School Day Hours
Notification for school closings, delays
When we close school or issue a delay, we will post this information in several ways to ensure the message gets to our families.
Delayed Start School Day Hours
• Phone call, email and text through Infinite Campus (be sure to set your preferences to be notified)
• Local TV stations
Breakfast & Lunch are FREE for 2023-24
The 2023-24 budget for the State of Michigan includes funding designated for universal free breakfast and lunch for ALL students in Michigan!
We encourage every student and family to take advantage of this; it will help you stretch your food budget and provide a nutritious breakfast and lunch each day FREE of charge. (Please note: If students want a second lunch, they will be charged the regular, or free/reduced meal rate.)
Otsego Public Schools has always had a Student Service Support team to address social-emotional, behavioral or mental health needs of students, but we’ve been able to expand that to a level unlike any other school in the county, thanks to additional state funding.
It’s no secret that since the pandemic, the number of students needing social/ emotional/behavioral support, and the level of the need, has increased. That’s why OPS is thrilled to be able to add an entire team to its already robust effortsa Behavioral Health Services Team.
Our Team
Long-time OPS Social Worker, Anna Starr, is leading this team as the Behavioral Health Services Coordinator. There is a Behavioral Health Services Aide at each elementary school and the middle school. This team also includes a SchoolBased Therapist at the elementary and one at the secondary level. The SchoolBased Therapist at the elementary level joined the team mid-year last year and our SBT at the secondary level has been in place for three years now.
“All students, K-12th grade will benefit,” says Alice Hoekstra, Director of Special Education. “Every student will get what they need with this new addition, and we expect to be able to provide training to parents and the community on behavioral health topics because of the growth of this department.”
Otsego Public Schools has one of the largest, most comprehensive Student Support Services staff in the county with:
• a social worker at each school,
• counselors,
• student support services specialists,
• a diagnostic consultant,
• and inclusion coach.
