Supporting Students
Supporting students begins by ensuring every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. When schools and communities work together to ensure children are known, equipped, and ready to learn, every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Known
The first time my wife, Kristina, and I received a letter from school explaining that our son, Wyatt, would receive some additional academic support, we weren't sure what to think.
I remember looking across the table at Kristina as we read the letter. Without saying much, we were both asking the same questions because like many parents, our minds immediately jumped to a worst-case scenario:
Was he falling behind?
Then we kept reading.
The letter explained that Wyatt's teacher had noticed an area where some additional support could help and she had already begun putting that support in place. As we reached the end of the letter, we both sighed in relief.
The mounting anxiety we felt as parents was gradually replaced with gratitude because someone else knew our son well enough to notice something we couldn’t see from home.
His teacher wasn't waiting for him to struggle. She was already helping.
That experience helped shape the way I think about what it means to be a great school. Great schools notice small challenges before they become big ones.
They pay attention.
They know their students well enough to notice when someone needs a little extra encouragement, support, or a different approach.
That experience deepened my appreciation for teachers who understand their students as individuals and for school systems that provide support early.
Walking into the big-box retailer during mid-summer I’m always caught off-guard when the aisles are filled with school supplies, backpacks, clothing, lunchboxes, and electronics for back-to-school shopping. I often catch myself thinking, It’s too early for this.
Or is it?
For many families, the back-to-school season brings added stress and financial pressure—especially for households already managing tight budgets. Going back to school is expensive, and families often have to find ways to make those costs manageable.
Compounding this burden was the reality that Central Elementary was a Title I school, serving a significant number of students from lower-income households.
Central is not alone: three of Grandville's seven elementary schools—nearly half—share this designation.
As president of our Parent-Teacher Group, I helped to remove this barrier by having us purchase school supplies for every student, ensuring each child had equal access to begin the year fully equipped with what they needed.
One parent remarked,
It lifted a significant burden for our family. It warmed my heart knowing that every child would begin the year with the same supplies and opportunities, without anyone feeling left out.
The support our community provided through our fundraiser was a gift to every family at Central Elementary, and we'll be doing it again this year with the same focus and purpose.
Equipped
Ready to Learn
Most mornings before school, my son Wyatt starts his day with a piece of toast covered in hazelnut spread and a glass of milk.
As ordinary as that routine may seem, it comes with something I do not take for granted—certainty. Wyatt does not have to wonder whether there will be enough food before school or when he returns home.
Not every Grandville family begins the day with that same certainty.
That’s one reason Michigan’s universal school meals program matters for Grandville.
More than 265 students receive food assistance during weekends, extended school breaks, and throughout the summer, with students served in every school building. That means some of the children sitting in our classrooms carry concerns about food with them when they arrive at school—and when they leave.
School breakfast and lunch provide some stability in between. When meals are available to every student, children can eat without being singled out because of their family’s circumstances, and parents know that one of their child’s most basic needs will be met during the school day.
School meals cannot guarantee academic achievement. But they can help create one of its most basic conditions: students who are nourished, present, and prepared to participate.
Each morning, when I make Wyatt breakfast, my hope for him is simple: that he can walk through the school doors ready for everything the day may bring.
Every Grandville student deserves that same opportunity.
Why I’m Running
Everything I've experienced as a parent and through serving our school community has reinforced the same belief:
Students thrive when schools and communities work together to ensure every child is known, equipped, and ready to learn.
I believe every decision we make should begin with one question:
Will this help students learn, grow, and reach their full potential?
When we keep students at the center of our decisions, we strengthen not only our schools, but our entire community.