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It is the mission of Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District to provide leadership and services to local school districts.
It is the vision of Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District to be an indispensable partner with every district we serve.
Current News
Char-Em ISD receives grant for supporting social and emotional needs of Indigenous local youth and English Language Learners
CHARLEVOIX - When the Charlevoix County Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council conducted a survey of more than 800 local students in grades 7-12 about their biggest concerns, the results showed a desire to increase acceptance and belonging and to reduce school-related stress. In an effort to help support vulnerable student populations throughout Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District - in particular indigenous youth and English Language Learners (ELL) - the YAC awarded $6,250 to the ISD to fund “Indigenous Comfort Kits.” “These kits will include cultural materials supplied by a generous gift from the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Behavioral Health Department,” said Alicia Schlehuber, Char-Em ISD Behavioral Health Coordinator, who applied for the grant on the ISD’s behalf. “We will collaborate with a cultural advisor in the use of and implementation of the kits.” The cultural materials will be supplemented with totes, native-themed coloring books, color pencils, yoga cards, stuffed animals and books – all of which provide culturally significant and related tools and resources to help connect students to their culture, Schlehuber added. Deleta Smith, Cultural Coordinator for the LTBB Health Department, explained that the kits will contain some medicines used in traditional Anishnaabek practices, including sweet grass, cedar and sage for particular purposes. “Wiingushk, sweet grass, is life in its purest form. Wiingushk is representative of the hair of our Mother Earth. When braided, it symbolizes strength bringing together the mind, body, and spirit. Just like our own mother, it brings gentleness, love, and kindness,” Smith said. “Cedar is used to cleanse and purify oneself both internally and physically. Sage is used to prepare for ceremony and is said to be the strongest of the medicines as indicated by its strong scent. These medicines are living beings and are given freely to all people to enhance and help sustain every-day lives.”...
Char-Em ISD State of the Community Report 2024
Each year, the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce compiles a booklet of reports from agencies and organizations around Northwest Michigan, including Char-Em ISD. The ISD's 2024 State of the Community Report can be found below. 2024 State of Community, Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District: Spotlight on Special Education services Each day throughout Char-Em Intermediate School District, education is delivered in a variety of settings to help all learners thrive. Char-Em ISD staff works hand-in-hand with local districts to provide special education services, which are a large part of what we do at Char-Em. We are proud to highlight these services in this year’s State of the Community report Relationships with students with disabilities and their families, local school district personnel, and community partners are at the core of successful special education programming. Char-Em ISD staff work within a service area that covers approximately 1,100 square miles which includes 11 local public schools, two public school academies, and five parochial schools, serving approximately 8,400 students. Of those students, approximately 1,150 receive special education supports that range in complexity and focus on academic, emotional, and functional achievement. Some data that help show the picture of these services follows: 120 infants and toddlers with disabilities receive direct and classroom-based 528 educational evaluations are developed annually to assure students with disabilities are receiving appropriate services. 52 direct therapy and consultation staff work with students, including school psychologists, school social workers, teacher consultants, and speech and language, occupational, and physical 16 special education classrooms, including 2 early childhood classrooms, are operated by Char-Em ISD in our 5 county service area. 109 students with significant educational needs attend classrooms operated by Char-Em 1,000 students with special needs attend...
Char-Em ISD special education millage renewal on the ballot May 7, 2024
Char-Em ISD special education millage renewal on the ballot May 7, 2024 Voters in Charlevoix, Emmet and northern Antrim counties will be asked to consider renewing the long-standing Char-Em ISD special education millage on May 7, 2024. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. “This millage was originally approved by voters in 1980 and has been renewed every four years since,” said Char-Em ISD Superintendent Scott Koziol. “This millage impacts the lives of thousands of students and their families in our region, from newborns to students up to age 26, including their lives beyond school. It provides critical services to students with disabilities in every school within Char-Em ISD.” Char-Em ISD serves more than 1,330 students with special needs in 11 public school districts, two charter academies, and 5 private schools each year. Sixteen special education classrooms, including 2 early childhood classrooms, are operated in the ISD’s 2.5-county service region. If approved, the ballot issue would renew 1.4606 mills for four years, 2024-2027, generating approximately $10.3 million per year for special education operational funding. For a home with a market value of $100,000, it would cost the taxpayer about $75 per year. Koziol said funding from this millage goes directly to local schools to reimburse about half of their special education expenses, as well as to Char-Em ISD-operated classrooms and the Patricia A. Taylor School for Exceptional Learners in Petoskey. It also provides specialized training for teachers, evaluation services, and highly specialized transportation for students with disabilities, along with career and college readiness preparation. In Michigan, special education services begin at birth for a person with disabilities and are provided until the age of 26. Koziol noted that ISDs are mandated by state law to provide special education services, as well as support to local districts serving students with disabilities. Costs associated with...
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Our Mission
It is the mission of Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District to provide leadership and services to local school districts.
It is the vision of Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District to be an indispensable partner with every district we serve.
Char-Em ISD is proud to have achieved accreditation by AdvancED for a second 5-year period effective July 2016. The AdvancED Accreditation Commission determined that Char-Em ISD engages in a continuous systemic process of improvement, and has effective and efficient quality assurance controls throughout the system. This achievement recognizes the quality of services provided by the ISD through the leadership team and governing authority, the dedication and service of the professional staff, and the support of community stakeholders.