Dear LPS Families,

I’m excited to share the first edition of a new communication initiative called the Quarterly Exchange. Each quarter, I’ll provide district updates here in the Comet Weekly (in place of the principal’s update) and invite your feedback on a key focus area through a short survey. This quarter’s topic is communication, aligned with our Strategic Plan goals. Future surveys will focus on other areas where your perspective can help guide our work.

Over my first few months as Superintendent, I’ve focused on learning deeply from the Leland community—listening to staff, students, and families, and building relationships that are essential to effective leadership. I’ve met one-on-one with more than 40 staff members and continue to be impressed by their passion and commitment to our students. I’ve also appreciated connecting with parents and families—through focus groups to update our athletic handbook, Coffee with the Superintendent, PTO events, and countless conversations in car lines and bleachers, to name just a few. Thank you for your warm welcome and honest feedback—it’s helping shape our path forward.

This fall has been an incredible season of achievement at Leland! There have been many highlights, a few of those include Leland High School’s #8 ranking in Michigan by U.S. News & World Report, a Boys Varsity Soccer State Championship (...in an overtime shootout no less!), a 4th-place state finish in Girls Cross Country, and a spectacular production of The Sound of Music. These kinds of academic, athletic, and artistic accomplishments reflect not only the talents of our well-rounded students, but also the dedication of our educators and the unwavering support of our families and community.

As we enter the final year of our current Strategic Plan, we are centering our work around strengthening communication across the district. The Quarterly Exchange and the survey below are one part of that effort. The survey, created by our School Leadership Team, will inform ongoing improvements in how we communicate with you. Later this year, we’ll begin developing a new Strategic Plan, engaging our board, staff, students, and families. Your input will be critical—please take a few minutes to share your thoughts when the time comes.

Another major area of ongoing focus is Hancock Field. The school district and the township are working together to coordinate improvements to the space we lease. As the township moves forward with its own upgrades, we’re adjusting our plans to align with their work and to ensure a responsible, high-impact use of funding. Updated concept designs are being developed now, and we look forward to sharing them with the community soon for feedback and support. Our goal is to move forward as quickly and responsibly as possible, ideally without the need for a bond. Our students deserve a quality space for athletics and we hope for your support in making it happen. 

Finally, our next Coffee with the Superintendent with an RSVP link will be shared soon, and I hope to see many of you there. In the meantime, please reach out as needed, my goal is to be at your service. 

Thank you for your continued partnership, engagement, and support. Together, we’ll keep building on Leland’s proud tradition of excellence and community spirit! Go Comets!

Share your input here: 

Communications Survey for Families

Dr. Ryan Huppert

Superintendent, Leland Public School District

rhuppert@lelandschool.com

(231) 256-3801

April 10, 2026

Dear LPS Families,

As many of you may have already noticed, the upcoming school year has Labor Day occurring very late in the calendar. This creates a unique scheduling challenge for school districts across Michigan. While this is not a recurring issue, it does require a one-time adjustment to our school start date this coming year. To avoid extending the academic calendar into the third week of June, the 26-27 school year will begin on Tuesday, September 1 and end on Friday, June 11. The Labor Day weekend will remain four days long, with no school on both Friday and Monday. We recognize that our school community values the tradition of starting after Labor Day, and the disruptions this can create are not lost on us. At the same time, we are not alone in facing this challenge—many districts across the area are making similar adjustments this year for the same reason. It is important to emphasize that this is not a long-term change in practice, but rather a response to the specific timing of the calendar for this next year only. Our goal in making this adjustment is to strike a balance that allows us to finish the year at an appropriate time in early summer. We appreciate the understanding, flexibility, and continued support of our families as we make this one-time adjustment.

Respectfully, Ryan Huppert Superintendent of Leland Public School