The employees of Bay City Public Schools cheered when the Bay Commitment was announced during the opening day meeting for all staff on August 29.
Mr. Gary Labadie, chairperson of the Bay Area Community Foundation, announced a partnership between the Foundation and the Bay City Public Schools to create a position known as the College Services Preparation office. Generous support from the Bay Area Community Foundation, The Kantzler Foundation, The Smith Foundation, the Osthelder Foundation and the school district will provide support for the office. The purpose of the service is to provide individual student services, parent support, and scholarship identification to families so that students can be prepared for college. Suzanne Murphy, formerly the Director of the Bay City Gifted and Talented Program and District Professional Development, will assume the new duties immediately.
In addition, 100 new scholarships of $2,000 each were announced for the graduating seniors in 2008, for use at Delta College or Saginaw Valley State University. Scholarships will be targeted at 'first in the family' to go to college as well as for students who have spent most of their K-12 education in the Bay City Public Schools.
The Bay Commitment is a regional pilot project to help 'grow our own' for economic development as 65% of students who graduate from Delta College and 39% of SVSU graduates remain in the tri-county area to live and work.
For more information, contact Suzanne Murphy at 989.671-8170 or Carolyn Wierda at 989.671-8165.