A Clinton Township high school teacher is turning compassion into action by opening a food pantry inside her classroom to help students struggling with food insecurity. The effort, started at Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township, has already reached dozens of families and highlights how educators are stepping up to meet students’ basic needs.
At Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township, social studies teacher Kim Johnston turned her classroom storage space into a food pantry to help students struggling during the ongoing SNAP benefit crisis. The pantry opened the week of Nov. 3, 2025, and has already distributed more than 100 meal kits stocked with pasta, canned goods, and other essentials, according to WXYZ Detroit.
Johnston said her goal was to “make life easier” for students and provide discreet access to food by allowing them to exit directly to the parking lot after collecting what they need. Students say the project has already helped classmates facing food insecurity. Donations have poured in from community members through an Amazon wish list, ensuring shelves stay stocked.
The pantry will stay open as long as needed, a reflection of how schools are responding to basic student needs as part of the broader conversation around education and support.
Anchor Bay: Policy shifts parents will notice
The Anchor Bay School District has introduced several new rules this school year that parents will want to note. A districtwide Away-for-the-Day device policy now requires students to keep phones, smartwatches, earbuds and other electronics turned off and out of sight during school hours. Exceptions apply for students with documented medical needs or accommodations through an IEP, Section 504 plan or the ADA. District leaders say the policy aims to reduce distractions and encourage face-to-face interactions.
The district also rolled out a new extracurricular eligibility policy for middle and high school students. To participate in athletics, clubs or school events, students must maintain passing grades in all classes, show satisfactory conduct in at least five of their six classes, and have a minimum 2.0 GPA from the previous semester.
Additionally, the district shifted to a trimester schedule (Aug. 25-Nov. 21, Nov. 24-Mar. 6, Mar. 7-June 5) and adjusted parent-teacher conference dates to early October to align with the new format, according to Anchor Bay Schools.
Anchor Bay: Building upgrades students can see and use
Anchor Bay completed major summer construction projects across four buildings. At the high school, the first phase of renovations wrapped up this fall, and several new facilities are already in use. Other notable upgrades:
- The Shoreliner Restaurant, a student-run dining program, opened Oct. 17, 2025, at the high school, according to Anchor Bay Schools.
- The Student Success Center now hosts weekly tutoring sessions, and the newly renovated weight room is being used this month by athletics teams.
- Middle School North reopened its fifth-grade wing with larger classrooms and a new playground that students helped design.
- Lighthouse Elementary completed major renovations and installed a new playground ahead of its planned conversion to an Early Childhood Center by 2028.
- Middle School South refreshed its band and small-engine rooms and added restrooms by the athletic fields.
Eastpointe: Bond work finished in classrooms, pool reopening pending
At Eastpointe Community Schools, officials updated families on progress from the $36.4 million bond approved in 2023. Classroom renovations at Pleasantview Elementary were completed before the school year began, adding new flooring, furniture and full air conditioning across all four elementary buildings, according to C & G News.
Bond work on the Eastpointe High School pool is complete, and the district is awaiting final inspections and a certificate of occupancy before reopening it to students. Technology improvements, including security cameras and network upgrades, were also completed as part of the same bond initiative.
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