August 2026
D7 Welcome Back Newsletter from the Superintendent
Dear Families,
Welcome to a new school year! I hope your summer was filled with rest, joy, and meaningful time with loved ones. As we begin this exciting new chapter, our staff is energized and ready to support your children with care, high expectations, and a renewed commitment to academic excellence and student well-being.
enrollment, consolidating administrative duties and aligning our operations with budget adjustments. With that being said, the State of Michigan passed a State Aid Budget that I believe is favorable to our District. The key is student enrollment as school districts in Michigan are funded based on our student enrollment. All changes have been This year, we’re continuing to build on what makes our schools special—strong relationships, vibrant classrooms, and a focus on preparing every student for success in life beyond graduation. As you may know, the District experienced significant budget issues last year causing us to make changes for the upcoming year. These changes include right sizing the District staffing plan to match with projected student implemented and we look forward to the new school year.
Creating a Healthier Learning Environment: Going Phone-Free with Yondr: Michigan has a statewide law requiring public K-12 school districts to ban smartphone use during classroom instructional time, starting with the 2026–27 school year. Enacted via House Bill 4141 and Senate Bill 495, the law mandates local district policy creation while leaving specific enforcement mechanisms and non-instructional rules up to individual school boards. As you know D7 implemented a district-wide ban last year and implemented the Yondr Pouch Program. We will continue our implementation for this year, knowing that now this is a State Law. Below is the D7 Policy as it relates to Personal Communication Devices.
- Students in grades K-12 may not use personal communication devices (PCDs) during normal school hours. For purposes of this policy, "personal communication device" includes computers, tablets (e.g., iPads and similar devices), electronic readers ("e-readers"; e.g., Kindles and similar devices), cell phones (e.g., mobile/cellular telephones, smartphones (e.g., BlackBerry, iPhone, Android devices, Windows Mobile devices, etc.), head phones, ear buds, burner cell phones, watches, smart glasses, and/or other web-enabled devices of any type.
Students still have access to their phones in emergency situations, and special accommodations are made for medical needs. In the case of a very serious emergency situation, students will have access to their phones. Please know that we consider student and staff safety our number one priority.
We’re excited to continue to give students the opportunity to focus, connect, and thrive—without distractions. Similar to last year we will implement the Yondr Pouch Program to students during the first week of school. Middle School and High School Students will be assigned a Yondr Pouch for their use throughout the school year. They will take the pouch both to and from school. The pouches will be turned in at the end of the year. The 4th and 5th grade students will not be taking the pouches home but will have access to the pouches at school. If you have a Y5 - 3rd grader that carries a cell phone, a pouch will be issued on an as needed basis and will remain at school.
If you are interested in learning more about the Yondr program, I have added a Yondr link below.
Yondr https://www.overyondr.com/phone-free-schools
Sinking Fund Projects: We are excited to begin implementation of the sinking fund projects that our community approved this past school year. As you recall, the Sinking Fund will generate approximately $1,300,000 each year for the 10 years. Sinking Fund Monies can only be used for projects and can not be used for salaries or benefits for employees. The best way to describe this is that if you took our District, turned it upside down and shook it, only those items that would not fall can be used for sinking fund dollars. The Building and Site Committee is in the process of beginning to implement this plan. The projects will space out over the next 10 years in correspondence with the funding that we receive each year. The first major project is the removal and replacement of a major section of the O. W. Best roof. Bids will go out later in the Spring with construction next summer. Additional projects include: Cement Repairs district-wide (sidewalks and drop off lanes), Roof Project for Board Office, Pardee Parking Lot Project, AHS HVAC and Univent Project, O. W. Best HVAC and Univent Project, District-Wide Restroom Refresh, Madison Elementary Upgrades Project, AHS Parking Lot, and AHS 2nd Floor Roof. I want to THANK the Community for supporting the Building and Site’s Sinking fund to support the projects listed above.
Administrative Staffing: As noted above, one of the most significant changes for the upcoming school year is our administrative structure. We have also experienced several administrative transitions, as some team members have accepted new positions in other districts.
We are pleased to welcome Ron Damuth as our new full-time Business Manager. Ron brings a wealth of experience in accounting and finance to D7. As Superintendent, I will assume the additional responsibility of overseeing Human Resources for the District. Scott Armstrong will oversee Special Education as well as State and Federal Programs. While Scott managed Human Resources last year, the reduction in Central Office administrative staffing has resulted in a realignment of responsibilities, and he will now oversee programs associated with our State and Federal grants.
Nairman Jaward will continue in her role as Supervisor of English as a Second Language, Pat Atanosian has been appointed Maintenance Supervisor, Debbie Haskell will continue to oversee our Early Childhood Programs, and Shaheen Algharably will continue to serve as Technology Director.
Our building-level administrative structure has also undergone changes. Three building administrators will not be returning to D7 after accepting opportunities outside the District. We are currently interviewing candidates to fill two open positions. Our building administrative team for the upcoming school year is as follows:
- AHS Principal / Virtual Programs: Aaron Mollett
- AHS Assistant Principal / Athletic Director: Open
- O.W. Best Principal / School Safety: Cheryl Howard
- O.W. Best Assistant Principal: Open
- Bedford Principal: Marcy Jouppi
- Polk Principal: Dr. Claudia Portscheller
- Pardee Principal: Don Lipinski
We appreciate the leadership and dedication of our administrative team and look forward to working together to support our students, staff, and families throughout the upcoming school year.
School Safety: As you may know D7 implemented the Smart Boot Lockdown system for staff and student safety during the 2024-25 school year. The Smart Boot is an advanced building lockdown system that includes smart boxes which house the Boot (door barricade) and sends visual and audible lockdown alerts school-wide. We will start the school year by reviewing safety protocols with our staff and students and begin implementation of our mandatory safety drills. For more information on the Smart Boot Lockdown System please visit the website below:
Lockout USA https://lockoutusa.com/
School District Calendar and General Information: The “First Day of School” is Tuesday, September 8th. Students will attend the first week September 8th - 11th as ½ days. In the afternoons, our staff will be engaged in mandated professional development time as well as classroom work time. Below are the Start and End times for the upcoming school year. I have also attached a School Calendar for your review.
High School: Full Day: 7:50 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Half Day: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Middle School: Full Day: 7:57 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Half Day: 8:00 a.m. to 11:07 a.m.
Elementary School: Full Day: 8:20 a.m. to 3:17 p.m.
Hall Day: 8:20 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
In Closing: As we move the District forward, I want to personally THANK everyone associated with D7 for your continued support of our students and our District! I look forward to working with you as we strive to provide the best possible educational experience for all of our students!
Best Regards,
Mark R. Kleinhans
Superintendent
Dearborn Heights School District #7