Schools & Sports
Warm but factual. The only desk allowed mild enthusiasm, and only for scores and honors. Board coverage reads like Dana's.
The Schools & Sports covers this beat for The Shiawassee Current. Every story carries the desk's byline rather than an individual's, is written from the public record, and links the documents it is based on. Our standards policy explains how stories are produced and reviewed.
Beats: 7 county school district boards · enrollment and funding · Friday scoreboard · MHSAA playoffs · student honors
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Owosso hosts Goodrich volleyball in a six-game county Wednesday
Five volleyball matches and one soccer game fill the county slate tonight, with Owosso (2-1) home against Goodrich at 6:15 p.m. and the Trojans' soccer team at Linden at 6:30.
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Owosso Nationals camping filling fast; gates open at noon Friday in Ovid
Owosso Speedway says campsites for the Sept. 25-26 season finale are still available but going quickly, and it has spelled out gate times, pit parking and the paperwork drivers should bring.
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Ovid-Elsie at Chesaning headlines a nine-game county Tuesday
Four soccer matches and five volleyball matches fill the county slate Tuesday night, with the only in-county meeting kicking off at 6 p.m. in Chesaning.
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Kids Early Education Zone gets Ovid-Elsie lease; terms not public
The school board approved leases for two child care operators on Aug. 19, but the posted minutes do not say which buildings they take, what they pay or when they open.
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Ovid-Elsie schools weigh a bond vote for May or November 2027
Minutes from the board's Sept. 9 work session show financial advisers laid out two ballot windows, and the district has since hired an architect and a construction manager to build the case.
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Owosso soccer hosts Kearsley tonight in a three-game county slate
The Trojans (2-1) kick off at 6:30 p.m., with Clare at Ovid-Elsie soccer and Genesee at Perry volleyball both starting at 7.
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Owosso school board meets Wednesday at Performing Arts Center
The regular meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at 765 E. North St., and the notice the district posted carries no agenda.
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Owosso school board gets Venture update, votes on Willman Field sound
The district posted its Sept. 23 agenda after the meeting notice went out blank: an update from the developer of the former middle school, a Willman Field sound system vote, the tax levy and a Wilkinson Road property decision.
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Laingsburg schools opened short-staffed, shut School of Choice early
Approved Aug. 18 minutes show the district closed School of Choice in early August to staff its buildings, and started the year down paraprofessionals, custodians and teachers after seven staff left over the summer.
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Owosso edges Clio 8-7; Ovid-Elsie blanks Mt. Morris 56-0
Eight of the county's 10 football finals are in from Friday night, with Corunna's and Durand's games not available at deadline.
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Clio at Owosso tops a full 10-game county football Friday
Every Shiawassee County football team plays tonight at 7 p.m., with seven at home and no county-vs-county matchups on the board.
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New Lothrop school board: 2025-26 audit, baseball drainage bid Monday
Outside auditors from Maner Costerisan present the district's 2025-26 financial audit at the 6 p.m. meeting, where trustees also vote on a baseball field drainage bid, a furniture purchase and overnight FFA trips — none with a dollar figure posted.
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Ovid-Elsie board's only action Monday: closed session on legal opinion
The Sept. 21 agenda for the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools board lists one item of new business — a vote to go into closed session over an attorney opinion letter, with no subject given.
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Corunna school board opens cell phone policy debate Monday
A first reading of a student cell phone and electronic device policy leads the Sept. 21 agenda, along with 21 policies up for final approval, five personnel moves and a bond update.
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New Lothrop volleyball at Ovid-Elsie leads 8 county games tonight
Eight Shiawassee County soccer and volleyball games are scheduled Thursday, Sept. 17, with a three-way volleyball night in Elsie and Durand home at 6:45 p.m.
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Owosso Nationals: CRA 100 goes green 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in Ovid
Owosso Speedway has posted minute-by-minute schedules for both nights of its season finale — features only, no heat races, and 100-lappers for the CRA Pro Series and the Outlaw Super Late Models.
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Owosso Speedway moves Destruction Overload to Oct. 3 in Ovid
The track's event page now lists the demolition-style show on Saturday, Oct. 3, with pits at 2 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m. — and calls it a reschedule from a Sept. 19 rainout, a date that has not arrived yet.
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Owosso at Corunna volleyball leads 5 county games tonight
The county's only in-county matchup Wednesday sends 1-1 Owosso to Corunna for a 6:15 p.m. start, with Durand, Perry and Laingsburg also in action.
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Durand at Chesaning soccer leads 7 county games tonight
Durand's teams draw two in-county opponents Tuesday night — soccer at Chesaning at 6 and volleyball at Ovid-Elsie at 7 — on a seven-game county schedule.
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Perry, New Lothrop Sept. 11 football finals still unreported
Four of the seven county football games played Friday, Sept. 11 have no confirmed final at this desk — and the backlog now stretches back to Byron's Aug. 28 opener.
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Owosso volleyball hosts Clio in county's only home game Monday
Six Shiawassee County teams are in action Monday night, and five of them are on the road — Owosso's 6:15 p.m. volleyball match with Clio is the lone home date.
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Byron football loses 36-8 to Deckerville; Morrice final still out
The only confirmed Shiawassee County score from Saturday, Sept. 12 was Byron's 28-point loss, with Morrice's football result and four Laingsburg games unavailable at deadline.
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Durand 49, Chesaning 14; Owosso wins 24-20 at Lake Fenton
All seven Shiawassee County football finals from Friday, Sept. 11 are now confirmed, including Durand's win in the night's only county-vs-county game and Owosso's four-point road win.
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Morrice football at Portland St. Patrick leads 2 county games tonight
The Orioles are 1-1 heading into a 7 p.m. road kickoff, and Laingsburg soccer opens the county's Saturday at 3:15 p.m. at Swartz Creek.
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Corunna football beats Clio 30-14; six county finals still out
The Cavaliers' 30-14 win was the only verified final on the county scoreboard at deadline Friday night, with six more Shiawassee County football games still unreported.
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Durand school board votes Monday on staff pay scale, FFA trips
The Sept. 14 agenda lists a non-affiliated employee salary schedule, two FFA travel items and two months of financial reports — but no descriptions of any of them.
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Owosso Speedway lists school bus figure 8, motorhome race in Ovid
A page labeled "Timing and Scoring Testing" on the Ovid track's site finally spells out the Destruction Overload classes — and shows a six-car feature won by Lansing's Gavin Anspach.
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Laingsburg at Perry soccer leads 3 county games Thursday
Perry, unbeaten at 2-0, hosts Laingsburg at 5:30 p.m., with Durand soccer at Lakeville and Morrice volleyball home against Beecher filling out the night.
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Owosso schools keep 4.7-mill debt levy; bonds to sell in $12M rounds
August board packets show what the bond win means for taxpayers and classrooms: a levy that stays put, a negotiated bond sale before Dec. 1, two new teachers and 228 kindergartners.
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Owosso Speedway sets 50-lap modified finale Sept. 12 in Ovid
The track's run-of-show for Championship Night 2 puts the modified feature at 50 laps, street stocks at 30 and the sport compact A main at 25, with mini wedges racing at noon and the front gate opening at 4 p.m.
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Morrice school board votes tonight on golf for spring 2027
The only action item on the Morrice Area Schools board's 6 p.m. agenda is a vote on golf for the spring 2027 season, with no supporting material attached.
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Perry volleyball, 2-0, hosts Saranac in 5 county games Wednesday
Perry is the only county team with a winning record on tonight's five-game slate, which also sends Corunna to Clio and brings Lake Fenton to Owosso.
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Ovid-Elsie at New Lothrop leads 7 county games; Durand at Byron too
Two of tonight's seven Shiawassee County games are county-vs-county volleyball matches, both starting at 6:45 p.m., with New Lothrop unbeaten at 2-0.
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Owosso school board weighs more public comment, Willman Field sound
The board's committee of the whole meets 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Conference Room 112 at the Washington Campus, with 2027 health insurance rates and a closed session with attorneys also on the agenda.
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New Lothrop 29, Durand 14; Perry wins 38-6 at Detroit Osborn
Three county football finals were confirmed from Thursday night's 14-game slate; results from the other 11 games, including Owosso, Chesaning, Ovid-Elsie, Byron, Laingsburg and Morrice, were not available at deadline.
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Durand at New Lothrop, both 1-0, tops 14 county games tonight
Two unbeaten county football teams meet in New Lothrop at 7 p.m., part of a 14-game Thursday that also sends Owosso, Corunna, Chesaning, Ovid-Elsie, Laingsburg, Byron, Perry and Morrice out on the field.
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Byron school board weighs middle school boiler, energy bond tonight
A 6:30 p.m. work session lists two discussion items — whether to replace or repair the Byron Middle School boiler, and an energy bond the district has not yet described in public.
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Ovid-Elsie volleyball hosts a quad in Elsie; 8 county games tonight
Freeland, Valley Lutheran and Powers Catholic all come to Ovid-Elsie at 5 p.m., and Owosso is the county's only home soccer team, hosting Holly at 6:30.
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Perry, Laingsburg host soccer at 5:30; four county games Tuesday
Two home soccer matches, a road trip to East Lansing and a Perry volleyball match at Lansing Christian make up Tuesday's county schedule.
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Corunna hosts Holly at 6:30, county's only home game tonight
Three county teams play Monday — Corunna soccer at home, Owosso soccer at Swartz Creek and Laingsburg volleyball at Portland — and all three come in 0-1.
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New Lothrop 54-0, and two county teams lose Aug. 27 openers by two
Thursday's seven-game slate produced a shutout in New Lothrop, blowouts for Chesaning and Perry, and two-point losses for Ovid-Elsie and Laingsburg.
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Owosso football opens with 42-20 loss at Pinckney
The Trojans' season opener is the only Friday final logged by our score desk; results from Mesick at Byron and Ovid-Elsie at Lowell were not available at deadline.
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Byron at Perry volleyball, 6:45 tonight, is the county's lone game
One match on the Saturday card: two Shiawassee County programs meet in Perry, with live scores on our scoreboard all night.
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Byron hosts Mesick in football opener tonight; Owosso at Pinckney
Three county teams play Friday night, with Byron the only home game — and every score updates live at shiawassee.news/scoreboard.
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Bancroft's Ryan Cords wins truck feature at Owosso Speedway in Ovid
Results posted for the Aug. 8 North South Shootout show Cords coming from 14th to win the 25-lap Truck Series feature, while Birch Run's Dan Leeck took a 50-lap late model race that chewed up half the field.
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Owosso Speedway's Destruction "O"verload set for Sept. 19 in Ovid
The track has the date on its calendar, but its event page carries no class list, no start times and no ticket prices — and the text on the page describes a Sept. 16 open practice instead.
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Durand 14, Corunna 13 in county football opener; 8 games still out
The only final score in from Thursday's opening night was a one-point Durand win over Corunna; results in eight other county games were not available at deadline.
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Ovid-Elsie facilities panel takes up assessment Sept. 9 in Elsie
The board committee steering the district's building work meets at 4 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Ovid-Elsie High School student lounge for a "Facilities Assessment Discussion," with no supporting material posted.
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Corunna at Durand leads six football openers across the county
Ten Shiawassee County teams play Thursday night, starting with the county's only high school football matchup of the evening: Corunna at Durand, 7 p.m.
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Owosso Speedway sets 40-lap late model finale for Aug. 29 in Ovid
The track's run-of-show for Championship Night 1 adds feature distances — 40 laps for Late Model Sportsman, 25 for trucks and pure stocks, 20 for dwarf cars — with the front gate at 4 p.m. and racing at 6.
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Owosso Speedway says Sept. 12 decides four titles in Ovid
The track's event page for Championship Night 2 puts street stock, sport compact, mini wedge and modified points championships on the line, with pits open at 11 a.m. and racing at 6 p.m. — but mini wedges are still listed on the Sept. 25 Nationals card, too.
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Lechota, Moore, Taylor take Bike Night features at Owosso Speedway
Owosso Speedway's posted results from Marie Smith Kids Bike Night on Aug. 15 show 86 cars entered across three divisions, with wins from ninth and eighth starting spots.
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Owosso Speedway: mini wedges are not racing Aug. 29 in Ovid
The Ovid track says an early-season editing error put the class in the description for Saturday's Championship Night 1; the only mini wedge race left is Sept. 12.
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Owosso Nationals is a two-night finale Sept. 25-26 in Ovid
The speedway has posted the missing Day 1 page — Late Model Sportsman, Street Stocks, Trucks, Sport Compact and Mini Wedges on Friday, Sept. 25, ahead of the CRA card the next night.
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Chad Finley wins Ron Hauser Memorial 100 at Owosso Speedway in Ovid
The St. Johns driver came from eighth to take Saturday's 100-lap Outlaw Super Late Model feature in Ovid; Owosso's Bo Smith ran third in Late Model Sportsman and eight of 21 late models did not finish.
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Keelan Harvick first entry for tonight's Michigan 300 at Owosso Speedway
The son of NASCAR Cup champion Kevin Harvick is confirmed for the 300-lap ASA STARS National Tour race in Ovid, with the front gate open at 3 p.m. and the green flag at 7:35 p.m.
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Owosso Speedway sets Sept. 26 Nationals card with CRA in Ovid
The track's event page lists Champion Racing Association cars plus Pure Stock, Modified and Outlaw Super Late Model classes for Day 2 of the Owosso Nationals — but no times, prices or entry list yet.
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Owosso Speedway starts championship nights Aug. 29 in Ovid
Points titles in Late Model Sportsman, Pure Stocks, Trucks and the wedge/dwarf class are on the line Saturday on the 3/8-mile asphalt oval, with gates at 4 p.m. and racing at 6.
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Venture seeks more time on Owosso's former middle school housing deal
The developer wants to turn the closed Owosso middle school into 53 affordable apartments, but its purchase agreement with the district was set to expire Aug. 1 and no extension vote appears in the board's July packet.
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Owosso school board meets Aug. 26 at Performing Arts Center
The Owosso Public Schools Board of Education posted notice of a regular meeting set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the district's Performing Arts Center on East North Street.
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Owosso school board to vote on bond authorization resolution Aug. 26
The Owosso Board of Education's Wednesday agenda pairs a bond authorization resolution with first looks at a tax levy, a Wilkinson Road property proposal and FFA travel.
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Ovid-Elsie policy committee advances draft board operating procedures
The three-member committee met July 30 to revise a working document on how the school board runs its meetings, with a recommendation to the full board due in August.
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Ovid-Elsie facilities committee interviews Clark, Christman for construction management
Two of the three committee members met for nearly three hours Aug. 10 to hear presentations from two construction management firms, according to minutes posted by Ovid-Elsie Area Schools.
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Ovid-Elsie facilities panel shortlists Christman, Clark for construction management
Minutes from the Aug. 3 committee meeting show four construction management firms and three architecture firms submitted qualifications, with two of each picked for interviews.
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Ovid-Elsie board names Doug Long Track, splits 4-3 on bond loan
Minutes from the July 20 regular meeting show the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools board renamed its high school track for a longtime coach and narrowly approved a School Bond Qualification and Loan Program application.
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Ovid-Elsie board reviews enrollment decline, restructuring concept
At an Aug. 5 work session, Superintendent Mark Horak presented five-year projections showing falling enrollment and outlined a possible change to grade configuration; no action was taken.
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Ovid-Elsie facilities committee interviews GMB, Kingscott for architect work
Two of three committee members met Aug. 11 in the high school student lounge for back-to-back architectural services interviews that ran just over two hours.
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Owosso Speedway sets Ron Hauser Memorial card Aug. 22 in Ovid
The Ovid track's tentative schedule puts a 100-lap Outlaw Super Late Model feature at the center of Saturday's program, with gates open at 4 p.m. and racing at 6 p.m.
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Laingsburg school board suspends athletic fees, extends superintendent deal
July 15 minutes show the board dropped middle and high school athletic participation fees for 2026-27, extended Superintendent Matt Shastal's contract and approved $1.5 million in June warrants.
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New Lothrop school board OKs debt levies, $108,497.92 reading buy
July 20 minutes show the board set 2026-27 tax levies, approved four new preschool and classroom hires, and extended Superintendent Jay Larner's contract through June 2029.
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Perry school board calls Aug. 19 special meeting on three purchase orders
The Perry Board of Education's noon special meeting agenda lists possible action on single purchase orders from the district's bond, general and building funds.
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Byron school board to act on 14 hires, energy bond report Aug. 17
The agenda for tonight's 6:30 p.m. regular meeting lists an energy bond presentation, 14 employments, five resignations and a van purchase.
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Morrice school board to act on K-12 nurse, cafeteria prices Aug. 19
The Morrice Area Schools board's regular meeting agenda lists votes on renewing the K-12 nurse, hiring an elementary teacher and raising adult cafeteria prices, plus discussion of a bond update.
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Corunna school board to fill vacancy, act on principal resignation
The Aug. 17 agenda includes appointing a trustee through Dec. 31, acknowledging Corunna High School principal Ron Jacobs' resignation and approving an ice hockey cooperative.
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Ovid-Elsie board to pick construction manager, architect Aug. 19 in Elsie
The agenda recommends hiring The Christman Company and Kingscott, with one board member set to abstain over a family tie.
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Ovid-Elsie facilities committee interviews two architects Aug. 11 in Elsie
The Ovid-Elsie Area Schools board facilities committee scheduled interviews with GMB and Kingscott for architectural services at a 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the high school student lounge.
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Ovid-Elsie football opens 2026 season at home Aug. 27 vs. Tri County Area
The verified nine-game schedule gives the Marauders four home dates and three in-county matchups, starting with a Thursday night opener in Elsie.
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Byron football opens 2026 season at home Aug. 28 vs. Mesick
The Eagles' verified nine-game 8-player schedule includes four home dates and five road trips, closing Oct. 23 at Marlette.
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Laingsburg football opens 2026 season at home Aug. 27 vs. Vandercook Lake
The Wolfpack's verified nine-game schedule includes four home dates and an in-county meeting with Perry on Oct. 9.
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New Lothrop football opens 2026 season at home Aug. 27
The verified nine-game schedule gives New Lothrop five home dates and three in-county matchups, starting with Muskegon Catholic Central on Thursday, Aug. 27.
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Morrice football opens 2026 season Aug. 27 at Brown City
The verified nine-game schedule for the Morrice 8-player football team includes five home dates, with the opener on the road Thursday, Aug. 27.
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Owosso football opens 2026 season Aug. 28 at Pinckney
The Shiawassee Current's verified schedule shows the Trojans playing eight games — three at home, five on the road — with an away trip to Corunna on Sept. 25.
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Corunna football opens 2026 season Aug. 27 at Durand
The verified eight-game schedule gives the Cavaliers five home dates and three in-county matchups, starting with a Thursday night trip to Durand.
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Chesaning football opens 2026 season at home Aug. 27 vs. Standish-Sterling
The verified nine-game schedule gives Chesaning five home dates and four in-county matchups, closing at Corunna on Oct. 23.
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Durand football opens 2026 season at home vs. Corunna on Aug. 27
The verified nine-game schedule gives Durand five home dates and four in-county matchups, starting with a Thursday night opener against Corunna.
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Perry football opens 2026 season Aug. 27 at Addison, six road games
The verified nine-game schedule gives Perry just three home dates and sends the Ramblers to Laingsburg on Oct. 9 for the season's in-county matchup.
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Owosso school board sets Aug. 12 committee meeting on Alger Street
The Owosso Public Schools Board of Education posted notice of a regularly scheduled committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Washington Campus Administration Building.
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Ovid-Elsie school board met Aug. 5 in Elsie on strategic plan
A posted notice shows the Board of Education held a work session at the high school student lounge for a single purpose: strategic plan discussion.
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Ovid-Elsie board weighed district restructuring at Aug. 5 work session
The agenda for the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools board work session listed enrollment projections and a possible restructuring concept, with no formal action to be taken.
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Laingsburg school board approves 2026-27 budget with $643,182 gap
Trustees adopted a general fund budget projecting $14.9 million in revenue and $15.6 million in spending, set a 28.95-mill tax levy and approved four hires at the June 24 meeting.
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Ovid-Elsie board agenda set track naming, facilities RFQ for July 20
The July 20 regular meeting agenda carried a recommendation to name the high school track for Coach Doug Long, two MIPS board appointments and authorization to seek architectural and construction management qualifications.
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Ovid-Elsie facilities committee set contractor interviews for Aug. 10-11
An Aug. 3 committee agenda shows the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools board panel reviewed construction management and architectural qualifications and scheduled interviews for this week.
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Ovid-Elsie board to interview construction managers Aug. 10 in Elsie
The school district's facilities committee posted notice of a 6 p.m. meeting Monday at the high school student lounge for construction manager interviews.
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Ovid-Elsie school board took up budgets, track naming at June 15 meeting
The agenda for the Ovid-Elsie Area Schools board's June 15 regular meeting listed votes on four budgets, a tax levy, a revised emergency operations plan and four employee contracts.
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Ovid-Elsie finance committee backed budget plans ahead of June 15 vote
Two of three committee members met June 10 in the high school student lounge and unanimously recommended the final 2025-26 budget revision and the proposed 2026-27 budget to the full board.
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Ovid-Elsie policy committee backs NEOLA updates, keeps current provider
The three-member board committee recommended approval of 20 policy changes on June 11, including new artificial intelligence and staff ethics language, and decided against switching policy services.
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Morrice school board took up tax levy, resource officer deal July 22
The July 22 regular meeting agenda listed resolutions on the property tax levy, the School Loan Revolving Fund and a school resource officer contract, plus a first reading of 16 policies including one on artificial intelligence.
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New Lothrop school board OKs budgets, $1.04M in bills, bond refunding
Trustees at the June 15 budget hearing approved the amended 2025-26 and initial 2026-27 spending plans, a resolution to refinance part of the district's 2014 bonds and financing for three new buses.
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New Lothrop school board agenda listed 10 staff moves, superintendent extension
The July 20 agenda for the New Lothrop Area Public Schools board included four resignations, eight hires, a non-homestead tax levy vote and a one-year contract extension for the superintendent.
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Morrice school board holds 19-minute budget hearing on 2026-27 spending
Four of seven trustees attended the June 24 special hearing, where the district presented its 2026-27 operational budget and took no action on it.
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Morrice school board buys Senior Center for $1, OKs $950,000 note
Minutes from the June 24 meeting show the Morrice Area Schools board approved two budgets, a teachers' contract, a curriculum purchase and baseball field work on a 4-1 vote.
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Corunna school board took up bond resolution, security contracts
The July 20 agenda for Corunna Public Schools listed a 2026 bond ratifying resolution, a six-year social studies textbook agreement and four contracts paid with 31aa grant funds.
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Corunna school board agenda set budgets, $1M borrowing vote June 15
The Corunna Public Schools board's June 15 agenda called for votes on final 2025-26 budgets, a truth-in-taxation resolution, next year's budgets and state aid borrowing of up to $1 million.
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Durand school board took up bond election, interim Bertha Neal posts Aug. 3
The agenda for the Durand Area Schools board's Aug. 3 regular meeting listed a resolution to authorize a bond election, interim leadership for Bertha Neal Elementary, and a full slate of 2026-27 handbooks and course catalogs.
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Byron school board agenda set budgets, coaching hires for June 15
The Byron Area Schools board's June 15 regular meeting agenda listed final 2025-26 and projected 2026-27 budgets, a slate of staff and coaching moves, athletic program changes and $2,900 in donations.
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Owosso school board takes up 2026-27 courses, science textbooks and student handbooks
July's agenda packed the year-ahead housekeeping — course offerings, textbook adoption, new hires — plus recognition for all-state softball athletes.