Cheboygan Area Schools – Sunday Soup Newsletter
Week of April 27, 2026
Please Welcome Steve Klinge to CAS!
Steve Klinge will be recommended for hire as our next Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at tomorrow night’s Board of Education meeting for the 2026–2027 school year.
Steve joins us from the Kingsley School District. He is a graduate of Central Michigan University and has completed postgraduate work at Saginaw Valley State University with an emphasis in exercise science, health, and injury prevention. He brings 18 years of teaching experience and 22 years of coaching experience, including time at the collegiate level.
Throughout the interview process, Steve consistently emerged as the leading candidate. His passion for student-athlete success and his commitment to building strong athletic programs were evident. The committee was particularly impressed with his background as a physical education teacher and his experience developing strength and conditioning programs for both boys and girls.
While Steve’s official start date will be August 1, don’t be surprised if you see him in our hallways or on our athletic fields this spring and summer as he begins preparing to hit the ground running next fall.
Local Superintendents Meet with Legislators
Make-up days continue to be a hot topic. Recently, area superintendents met with Representative Cam Cavitt and Senator John Damoose at our monthly COP ESD superintendent meeting. They advised districts to plan for the worst but hope for the best regarding the possibility of receiving a waiver for days beyond the nine allowable closures due to severe winter weather.
In Lansing, there is legislation under consideration that could provide relief in our current situation. However, given typical legislative timelines, a decision will likely not be made until later this spring. If you recall, last year, following the ice storm, school-day waivers were not approved until the very end of the school year.
This year has been even more challenging. With the blizzard and recent flooding concerns, we have accumulated 17 missed school days. The previously mentioned legislation was introduced before the flooding. We are hopeful that the most recent three flood-related days will also be waived by the Governor, as they occurred during a declared state of emergency. We anticipate strong support from Lansing for those days.
We will continue to keep you informed regarding both the potential waiver of blizzard-related days and our new request for forgiveness of flood-related days.
All districts within our COPESD have exceeded the nine-day maximum. Some districts have missed as few as 10 days, while others have missed up to 16. We currently have the highest number of missed days in the region at 17, all weather-related.
If community members would like to support this effort, please consider contacting Representative Cavitt and Senator Damoose. They are aware of our concerns and serve as our collective voice in Lansing as this legislation is debated.
Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences Update
Due to the flooding two weeks ago, parent-teacher conferences were canceled and will not be rescheduled as we approach the end of the school year.
However, each building principal will be working closely with teachers and staff to ensure that parents of students who are struggling are contacted. At a minimum, teachers will offer a phone or Zoom conference to those students. If a parent prefers to meet in person, we will do our best to accommodate those requests.
It is extremely important to us that communication with families remains strong as we near the end of the school year and that there are no surprises. The most effective interventions occur when there is a united front, when both the teacher and parent are aligned and working together in support of the student. When that happens, student success is far more likely.
Finishing Up April
· April 27 – Cabinet Meeting @ 1:00 p.m
· April 27 – Board Meeting @ 6:30 p.m. (BR)
· April 28 – Bid Opening @ 12:00 p.m. (BR)
· April 28 – Negotiations Meeting @ 3:30 p.m. (BR)
· April 29 – Attorney Zoom Call @ 9:00 a.m.
· April 29 – SL Weekly Zoom Meeting @ 11:00 a.m.
Important Dates in May
· May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
· May 6 – Half Day for Students / PD Afternoon for Staff
· May 6 – SL Weekly Zoom Meeting @ 11:00 a.m.
· May 6 – Negotiations Meeting @ 3:30 p.m. (BR)
· May 6 – Safety Team Meeting @ 5:00 p.m.
· May 6 – Athletic Committee Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
· May 7 – Travel to Lansing @ 1:00 p.m.
· May 8 – MASA Safety Summit (Lansing) @ 8:00 a.m.
· May 9 – Prom
· May 12 – Finance Committee Meeting @ 10:00 a.m. (SL update)
· May 12 – Negotiations Team Meeting @ 11:30 a.m.
· May 12 – COP ESD CTE Steering Committee @ 1:00 p.m.
· May 12 – Policy Committee Meeting @ 2:30 p.m. (if needed)
· May 12 – Curriculum Committee Meeting @ 3:45 p.m.
· May 13 – SL Weekly Zoom Meeting @ 11:00 a.m.
· May 14 – Senior Lock-In (HS)
· May 19 – Graduation Practice @ 1:00 p.m.
· May 19 – Baccalaureate and Scholarship Night
· May 20 – Academic Awards Assembly
· May 20 – Senior Breakfast @ 7:15 a.m.
· May 21 – Inverness Academy Graduation
· May 22 – Graduation Ceremony @ 7:00 p.m.
· May 25 – Memorial Day – No School
Quote of the Week
“I play violently. That’s just how I play.” – Derrick Moore, University of Michigan
Derrick Moore was recently drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft as the 44th overall pick by the Detroit Lions. He is best known as a physical, high-effort edge rusher from the University of Michigan, where he developed into a disruptive defensive presence. His game is built around explosiveness off the line, strong hand usage, and the ability to consistently set the edge against the run. He will likely play opposite standout Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
Spencer S. Byrd, EdS, CSBO, CAA, CO
Superintendent
Cheboygan Area Schools