The Shepherd Public School district is located in the Village of Shepherd in southern Isabella County in Michigan. The district is about sixty miles north of Lansing and about five miles south of Mt. Pleasant, home of Central Michigan University where many Shepherd students take advantage of dual enrollment opportunities. The school is a rural/agricultural community, covers approximately 112 square miles and has a minority population of almost 8%. Most students are transported to school on one of the district's 29 buses. The district is classified as Class B and has an approximate total enrollment of 1,800 students and about 120 certified staff.

Shepherd Elementary School, located across the street from the high school, has about 550 students in grades TK-5. There are 31 full-time classroom teachers and 6 shared special teachers. More information may be found on the elementary school's website.

Winn Elementary School is about 11 miles west of Shepherd on Blanchard Road in the Morey Education Center. It has 14 full-time teachers, 6 shared special teachers, and about 225 students. For more information, see the Winn website.

Shepherd Middle School, near downtown Shepherd, has about 390 students, 20 full-time classroom teachers, and 4 shared teachers. Shepherd Middle School may also be visited at its web site.

Shepherd High School has about 520 students, 21 full-time teachers, and 4 shared teachers. Since the Middle School and High School are physically connected, students share a few amenities such as the media center, cafeteria, band and choir rooms, and auditorium.

Odyssey Middle/High School is an Alternative Education Program for middle and high school students. It is located on Wise Road in the school forest. Four teachers provide education to about 70 students. Odyssey also offers a virtual option.

To prepare all students to reach their full potential with the support of a unified community.

Journey to Achieving Your Success. JAYS!

WE BELIEVE:

• Students are the future.

• In educating/nurturing the whole child.

• Everyone performs their best when they feel safe, loved and appreciated.

• In a relationship between home, school and community

• Respect is a key component to build healthy relationships.

• High educational standards can be achieved through fun and innovative practices.

January is School Board Recognition Month and Shepherd Public Schools is joining 541 local and 56 intermediate school districts across the state to thank these community volunteers for their untiring dedication to public education.

As citizen leaders, individual school board members face complex and demanding challenges. They are alternately described as having the most important volunteer jobs in the country and facing the toughest challenge in elected American government. Yet school board members are just ordinary citizens with extraordinary dedication to our nation’s public schools. All Michigan citizens should recognize the vital contributions of these men and women and the crucial role they play in the education of our children. Public education is the backbone of American society, and local school boards are deeply rooted in U.S. tradition. Today local school boards continue to do the most important work of their communities—that of educating our youth.

Their job is to establish a vision for the education program, design a structure to achieve that vision, ensure schools are accountable to the community and strongly advocate for continuous improvement in student learning. The job of a school board member is tough and the thanks few and far between. Too often we’re quick to criticize school board members without really understanding the complex nature of their decisions.

School board members come from a variety of backgrounds, yet they share a common goal—helping students achieve in school and life. As a state, Michigan has faced many challenges, but the key to a brighter future is a strong public education system.