Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/education/k-12/)
CELLPHONES: Lawmakers from Rochester Hills, Jackson and Holland are pushing a bill to require public and charter schools to have grade-based restrictions on student cellphone use. The governor advocated such a measure in her State of the State address.
On Feb. 10, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law two new bills that aim to limit cellphone use in classrooms. While the state law is new, classrooms in Lansing have attempted to curb students’ distraction on their own for a few years. J. W. Sexton High School (JWSHS) in Lansing has had a no-phone policy since 2024.
Following the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s (MHSAA) decision to allow high school athletes to participate in name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities, families around the Lansing area are starting to feel the impact. While the idea of student-athletes earning money from their talents is exciting, many parents say the reality is more complicated than they expected. At East Lansing High School, junior wide receiver Jayden Brooks has started gaining attention on social media after a strong football season. With that attention has come early NIL interest, something his mom, Danielle Brooks, said she wasn’t fully prepared for. “I think it’s a blessing, but it’s also a lot to handle,” Danielle Brooks said.
East Lansing’s Buddy Basketball program has finished up its final session of the season. The program introduces 5-to-7-year-old kids to the fundamentals of basketball over a series of weekends in January and February. During the second-to-last session on Feb. 14, more than 20 kids, parents and coaches filled the Hannah Community Center.
After their last game of the season against Williamston High School ended in a loss, the J.W. Sexton High School football team finished their season with a 5–2 league record and third place overall. Even though the team won’t be competing in this year’s playoffs, the support from the team’s staff, parents and alumni have helped the team build connection throughout the season both on and off the field.
Funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services officially ended in September of this year. Soon, East Lansing families will begin to see the impact in their classrooms and neighborhoods. While budget shifts in Washington can sometimes seem abstract, educators warn that the consequences could be felt in classrooms, living rooms and even college applications.
“There’s no such thing as bad weather. It’s just bad clothing.”
Those are the words that Amy Sayers lives by. They are also something she shares with her classrooms and clubs.
After months of uncertainty over state funding, the East Lansing Public Schools district can finally move forward with clearer financial footing following the approval of the state school aid budget on Oct. 1.
Last month, 265 high school students from all over the U.S came to Michigan State University for a week of hands-on learning and mentoring at the MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop.
As high school sports become more competitive, a question arises: Do private schools have an unfair advantage in sports?
Gavin HutchingsA Greater Lansing Food Bank (GLFB) volunteer packs a bag with shelf stable milk for the Weekend Survival Kit (WSK) Backpack Program in Lansing, Mich., on April 8. The GLFB welcomes volunteers to help with the sorting and organization of donations. To Katlyn Cardoso, child hunger in Michigan is not an abstract issue – it is a devastating obstacle for students and a driver for solutions in her own backyard.
Cardoso is the senior manager of marketing and communications at the Greater Lansing Food Bank. (GLFB). The food bank serves seven counties, where one in six children are food insecure.