Ionia County Intermediate School District

2 weeks ago

What is an ISD? Part 2
Jason Mellema, Superintendent
Ionia County ISD

My last article/post focused on the history of ISD’s within Michigan and the broader picture of our three-tier education system. This article provides some insight into Ionia County ISD, and how we support learners within our county.
Ionia County ISD was formed in 1963 shortly after the State Legislature passed bills as a replacement to the system of County Education Commissioners. We are governed by a five-member Board who reside geographically throughout our ISD and are elected by the K-12 Boards of Education from within our jurisdiction. Ionia County ISD currently has just under 10,000 students within our boundaries, residing in five K-12 districts (Belding, Ionia, Lakewood, Portland, Saranac) and three rural school districts (Coon, Haynor, and North LeValley).

At its core, our ISD helps with regulatory functions, mandates, and permissive services with the primary purpose of supporting student achievement, leveraging limited resources, and assisting all learners. We are responsible for actions such as pupil accounting and coordinating special education services. In addition, we look to develop partnerships with civic/community groups and employers to assist with developing students to meet real world needs.
Within our ISD, we have three distinct areas to support schools and students: General Education, Special Education, and Career and Technical Education. Overall, our goal is to partner with our local schools to build full potential by being good fiscal stewards while using and implementing best practices to support all learners.

Look for more in-depth information regarding services in General Education, Special Education, and Career and Technical Education in future articles/posts. ... See MoreSee Less