Monroe Memo

October 7, 2025

A point of pride in our district is our focus on making sure our students are in programs and schools where they belong. Utica Community Schools offers our students unique offerings that are built around their interests, learning styles and passions.

This commitment will be on full display this week as our 8^th graders travel to the Walsh Community Education Center to take part in a Future Focus event.

Students will learn first-hand about the options available to them as they begin to pursue the four-year graduation requirements that begin in 9^th grade.

The options that are on display for students include our five specialty programs, our comprehensive high schools, athletics, and the fine and performing arts. Many of these options are unique to Utica Community Schools and have been recognized for excellence.

The unique choices available to our students directly reflects the culture of empowerment in our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan. The plan outlines our commitment to providing students with relevant, engaging, challenging and high-quality instruction that will empower them to pursue their passions.

When our students feel connected and engaged, they excel and achieve success.  The Future Focus event is a strong example of our work to create a sense of belonging in our students that develops a shared pursuit of excellence with their schools and families.

November 6, 2025

The UCS Foundation and Utica Community Schools are proud of the partnership we created nearly 50 years ago to give our students and staff the opportunity to dream. We are now asking for your support to help us continue to make a difference in our community.

Now through December 2, we are partnering on an initiative we call “Give Our Kids A Strong Foundation.” Through this initiative, we hope to increase the awareness of the Foundation’s work as well as ask community members to contribute to the organization so that we can continue supporting UCS students and staff.

All contributions will be matched up to $5,000 by the UCS Foundation Board of Trustees. The funds contributed to the Foundation go directly back to our students and staff.

We are proud of the impact our non-profit, all volunteer organization has made in our schools:

• Nearly $800,000 in scholarships to graduates since 2010
• The Career Focus Luncheon that annually pairs sixth graders with business leaders
• Supporting staff innovation with more than $10,000 in annual mini grants

We hope you will take the time to learn more about our work in the coming weeks and consider a donation of any size. You can donate online at this link.

Thank you for all that you continue to do for our students.

Sincerely,

Robert S. Monroe Superintendent of Schools
Juli Sala President, UCS Foundation

September 23, 2025

In UCS, professional development is deeply embedded in our strategic planning process.  Our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan emphasizes giving staff the tools and resources to drive achievement, including meeting their needs when it comes to training and development, empowering them to make decisions that lead to positive change.

A recent survey demonstrates overall satisfaction from our staff on professional learning teams, but there is still work to be done.  Through our ongoing training, we will ensure that we remain a district where our graduates are competitive leaders who are empowered for their future.

Throughout the year and during the summer, our staff engages in professional development activities.  These activities allow staff to share information on new curriculum initiatives that give teachers an opportunity to collaborate, reflect and learn in discussion with their grade level colleagues.

Recent professional development has taken place for all major subject areas and departments. This includes such as new chemistry and physics courses, visual arts offerings, our continued educational leadership in elementary literacy, mathematics and future changes to our elementary report cards.

Professional development ensures that we have consistency across our 41 schools and specialty programs and that Utica Community Schools is an innovative leader when it comes to teaching and learning.

This type of learning is essential for every serious organization - whether you are in education, law enforcement, the health field, manufacturing, small businesses or Fortune 500 corporations. Organizations that are leaders in their fields invest in their employees, especially a large K-12 school district like ours that puts a priority on lifelong learning.

September 5, 2025

It took only a few hours for our schools to make the quick transition between summer and back to school. 

By the end of the first day, you could already see the relationships taking shape that are the hallmark of Utica Community Schools. 

These relationships are critical to the sense of belonging that occurs in our classrooms. We recognize that when students, staff and families know they are in a place where they belong, success is inevitable.

This is a critical point of pride for Utica Community Schools. We are a large school district, yet we are able to create a family-like environment rooted in our legacy and grounded in shared expectations and care for our students. 
These relationships have long been a part of our community, but they are equally critical to our future.  

Over the next few months, we will be pursuing two important initiatives that will help guide our future. These initiatives represent the next important steps of our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan. 
The first initiative is to continue the review of attendance areas and the future use of existing schools. 

Secondly, we have begun a study that raises the academic bar for all students. The purpose of this study is to provide district leaders with a more complete understanding of the many demands and needs of UCS staff and how the district might better support schools to effectively deliver services to students with varying needs. 

The projects are rooted in this positive learning environment we have created together – one that gives students a sense of connection and belonging in their community and prioritizes the relationships that empower them for success.

August 20, 2025

Dear UCS Community,

Fall sports are in full swing, secondary students are discovering new classes and lockers, and buses are out on the roads testing their routes. The sound of marching bands fills high school parking lots once again, and all offices across the district have reopened.

It is officially back-to-school season in Utica Community Schools.

This is one of my favorite times of the school year for the energy and excitement it brings to all of our schools. Each year carries the promise of a new beginning.

The positive momentum of the new year will only grow as we move through the school year. Our focus will remain on making our district stronger through the data driven UCS Empowered Strategic Plan and its focus on the cultures of empowerment, caring and transformation.

Through our work, we want every student from day one to be connected, engaged and empowered to pursue their passion academically, athletically or in the arts – this year and well into the future.

One way you can see the strategic plan’s three pillars in action is our open house this Sunday for the reconstructed DeKeyser Elementary. Throughout our district, we have already made critical improvements, especially pertaining to safety, to support a positive learning environment. The work at DeKeyser is the most representative example of our long-range plan for our schools.

It is why we are inviting our entire community to see this future at the Ribbon Cutting/Open House from 2 to 4 p.m. this Sunday, August 24 at DeKeyser Elementary. The ceremony will begin with a ribbon cutting followed by self-guided tours that display the unique features of the school.  The playground will be open and free food trucks will be available through the generous sponsorship of our construction team, Barton Malow Co., Anderson Eckstein & Westrick and Integrated Design Solutions.

For those attending, we strongly encourage using shuttles that will run between 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. from Browning Elementary, Eisenhower High School, Havel Elementary, Rose Kidd Elementary, Shelby Junior High School and Stevenson High School. Parking will be extremely limited at DeKeyser Elementary and roads into the subdivision will be closed to reduce traffic congestion.

This is a busy week in UCS as we prepare for our August 26 opening day. We have updated our Top Ten Things to Know on our website to help you prepare for the new school year. In particular, new dates have been shared 2025-26 school calendar at this link. Working collaboratively with the Utica Education Association, there is an important change that will provide parents with class and curriculum information earlier in the school year.

If you have a question at any time, please be sure to speak directly to your school or email us at ucs@uticak12.org.

Enjoy the last week of summer and we will see everyone next Tuesday for another great year in Utica Community Schools.

Sincerely,

Robert S. Monroe
Superintendent of Schools

August 7, 2025

The reopening of DeKeyser Elementary this school year represents a major milestone for our school district.

The school’s reconstruction is the first step in realizing our vision for UCS schools. DeKeyser maintains our focus on safety while integrating unique design features that will support our staff and student achievement.

Over the past school year, the DeKeyser students and staff were relocated to Rose Kidd Elementary while the school was reconstructed using a design that will serve as a model for school improvements throughout the district.

It is why we are inviting our entire community to see this future at the Ribbon Cutting/Open House from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 24 at DeKeyser Elementary, 39600 Atkinson in Sterling Heights. The ceremony will begin with a ribbon cutting followed by self-guided tours that display the unique features of the school.  The playground will be open and free food trucks will be available through the generous sponsorship of our construction team, Barton Malow Co., Anderson Eckstein & Westrick, and Integrated Design Solutions.

For those attending, we strongly encourage using a shuttle that will run between 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. from Browning Elementary, Eisenhower High School, Havel Elementary, Rose Kidd Elementary, Shelby Junior High School and Stevenson High School. Parking will be limited at DeKeyser Elementary and roads into the subdivision will be closed to reduce traffic congestion.

More information on the open house is available at www.uticak12.org/dekeyseropenhouse.

Our “new” DeKeyser Elementary will showcase the transformational nature of our 2023 Safety and Success Bond Issue. The work at DeKeyser and throughout our district could not be possible without the community’s support.  This support is why we want our entire community to join us to see your investment come to life for our students’ futures.

July 28, 2025

It is common for people to make resolutions when they are approaching a new year.

Utica Community is not any different with a new school year just around the corner.

This year, our UCS team is committing itself to making substantial changes in the way we do business to improve student achievement.

These improvements are driven by our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan. Since its inception more than two years ago, the plan has led to data-driven initiatives across the district that improve safety, teaching and learning, and student and staff mental health services.

This year we are taking those initiatives to the next level with a study designed around raising the academic bar for all students, particularly those with disabilities.

The purpose of this study is to provide district leaders with a more complete understanding of the many demands and needs of UCS staff and how the district might better support schools to effectively deliver services to students with varying needs.

After the conclusion of this effort in early winter, action items resulting from the study will be shared with the community.

Our collective goal is to improve outcomes for students who struggle, while making the work of teachers and paraprofessionals more sustainable.

This thoughtful evolution is how we honor the long legacy of learning in UCS by moving us even closer to the ambitious vision we set out for ourselves in 2023 – to ensure all of our students are empowered to change their future and the world.

July 21, 2025

We recognize that there is often sadness coupled with excitement in the reconstruction of an elementary school. 

A UCS school building is more than the facility where our students go to learn. It is a place where school communities are formed and memories are built.

As we look to reconstruct schools, it is important to note that we are working within the foundation of our schools. It is the footprint of the buildings that we are redesigning to improve safety and further support academic achievement. 

Our current reconstruction plans include DeKeyser Elementary for this fall, Graebner Elementary in 2026 and Havel Elementary for 2027.

On a practical level, using the existing foundation gives us the opportunity to make the needed improvements in a single school year. It means that we can limit the relocation of school communities while the work takes place.

We also are able to extend the impact of the bond issue through a savings of approximately a third of the building costs – or roughly $14 million. This savings is put back into our building program to meet the needs across our district. This innovative approach shows how we are meeting our community’s expectations that resources effectively support students and staff.

At a larger level, keeping this foundation in place is also symbolic of the legacy of these schools. The heart of the school that has supported these communities for the past 50 or more years – the outside brick and mortar, roof and steel – remains in place.

This bond issue gives us the ability to get started on a long-range plan for every elementary school in our district.  We will be able to share more planning during the course of this school year.

But even as we update our schools and look to the future, we recognize that Utica Community Schools is a place where history and legacy matter. Through reconstruction, we are making sure that the foundation which supported generations of students will stand strong for another 50 plus years. 

The current reconstruction at Graebner Elementary

February 2, 2026

Dear UCS Community,

Utica Community Schools is asking for your input as we look to our future. 

In 2023, our Board of Education adopted our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan. This long-range plan has led to significant improvements in our district focused on the Cultures of Empowerment, Caring, and Transformation. We are closely following this plan as we pursue our mission to empower UCS graduates to change their future and the world. 

UCS reflects on the high expectations our community has for the students in our classrooms today and the next generations. To support our work, we are asking for the input of our staff, families, and neighbors regarding the strengths of our schools, challenges you may see ahead, and the programs and services offered in our district.  

We invite you to participate in this online survey through Monday, February 16 by visiting www.uticak12.org/communitysurvey. 

Thank you for your continued partnership.  

Sincerely,  

Robert S. Monroe 
Superintendent of Schools 

January 8, 2026

Dear UCS Community, 

Welcome to 2026 and the excitement of starting a new year. We begin the new calendar year not only focused on quality experiences for students in our classrooms, but also with our minds firmly on the future. Since its adoption in 2023, the UCS Empowered Strategic Plan has set us on a positive path where we are creating success for our students.  

Student achievement remains at the center of our work. As we start the second semester in Utica Community Schools, we will continue our process of targeting improved outcomes for all students. Information is currently being collected through a series of focus groups, school and classroom visits to understand the changing needs of our students. 

While UCS students continue to outperform their peers, there are subsets of students with unique needs who are not experiencing a level of growth we would expect when compared to all students. As a result of our collective work, we will continue to focus on achievement for all students.  

In addition to our focus on improved outcomes, the next steps of the strategic plan will bring more opportunities for empowering our community:  

• We continue to meet the commitments made to voters through the 2023 Safety and Success Bond Issue. From replacement of drinking fountains to the opening of reconstructed schools, years of planning are taking shape this year throughout our district.  We are also looking beyond this facility improvement program to ensure that our families and students across the district have a positive learning environment that meets the expectations of our community.  
• Earlier this school year, we provided information to our community on adjusting grade configurations at all UCS schools to K-5 Elementary, 6-8 middle school and 9-12 high school. In December, the Board of Education approved these grade configurations, effective for the 2027-28 school year. UCS teams will begin planning every aspect of the transition, including curriculum, student support structures, and the creation of a UCS middle school model. While the initial feedback from our community was positive, we realize that there are important areas that need to be addressed, particularly as it relates to supporting students during the transition. We will continue to provide regular updates to the community on our website.  

In each instance, we are moving forward with transparency through open communications and working in partnership with our staff and community. A frequent question from our community – particularly as it relates to long-standing issues of attendance areas and building configurations - is “why now?” 

The answer is that we are making these improvements from a position of strength. Our students on average continue to outperform their state and national peers on standardized tests. Like all Michigan districts, financial stability is an ongoing challenge where much of our financial future depends on state lawmakers. While the grade reconfiguration is positive for students, it also embeds future operational efficiencies in facility maintenance and transportation. This redirects resources back to our classrooms.  

We recognize the impact of change on our staff and community. UCS has a strong team committed to a seamless transition as these improvements occur. This is why we began this important work years before implementation. These positive changes are creating new opportunities for today’s students and those that start their education in the future.  

Strong relationships and educational excellence will continue to guide our work. Please never hesitate to contact your students’ teachers, building administrators, or our district leadership if you have questions. We are here to serve.  

Thank you for your partnership in creating a great 2026 for our students. Your support makes a difference. Together we will continue the Utica legacy of excellence in the months to come.   

Sincerely,  

Robert S. Monroe 
Superintendent of Schools 

October 13, 2025

Dear UCS Families, 

When I began my career at Utica Community Schools, a common question from families and staff was around the unique grade levels in each of our school buildings.  Even as far back as 20 years, there were conversations about the elementary, junior high school and high school grade configurations. 

The answer at that time was that grade levels assigned to buildings were initially set that way based on the student capacity of our school buildings. Today, we are in a different place. 

Our changes in enrollment, the implementation of our Safety and Success bond issue, and our ongoing review of facilities have given us the ability to consider possible changes to our grade configurations at each level. We can have a conversation on how our building configurations can better support academic offerings in UCS, increase academic and co-curricular opportunities, and create a structure that supports our students and staff. 

Currently, our grade configurations are set with elementary schools supporting early childhood, kindergarten and young fives through 6th grade, junior high schools 7th through 9th grade, and 10th through 12th grade being taught at our high schools. The only exception is Henry Ford II High School covering 9th through 12th grade and Bemis Junior High School teaching 7th and 8th grade.  

Over these next few weeks, we will consider building configurations that are consistent with the majority of Michigan school districts: elementary schools with early childhood, kindergarten and young fives through 5th grade, middle schools with 6th through 8th grade, and high schools 9th through 12th grade.  

There are a number of compelling reasons why this is the right time to consider changing grade configurations: 

• With changes in our enrollment, we have the building capacity to support this conversation. The timing is also something that would tie in with the work of our Enrollment Distribution Advisory Committee (EDAC), which is engaged in long-range planning and review of our attendance areas.  

• UCS curriculum and the curriculum and assessment standards for the State of Michigan are organized in a K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 format. This change would better align our schools to successfully meet those expectations. 

• We can increase the rigor and offerings to 6th and 9th grade students and their access to co-curricular activities by changing grade configurations.  
• We would have an opportunity to reimagine how a middle school experience can support the unique needs of students in 6th through 8th grade and support a successful transition to high school in the 9th grade.  

As we look ahead and explore possible changes, our priority is to make any transition a thoughtful and positive one for our students, staff and families. We will work with our stakeholders to plan the next steps and, if successful, set a timeline for implementation.  

We remain committed to transparency throughout this process. We will continue to communicate with you on a regular basis. I encourage you to share any questions you may have that can be addressed in further communications at this link. From this feedback, we will create a question and answer document and fact sheets that will be addressed in future communications.  

Even as we consider significant change, there are parts of our UCS culture that will always stay the same. We honor the legacy of excellence that reflects our community’s values, students will have access to quality programs and schools where they belong, the effective relationships between students, staff, parents and the community will remain a trademark of our district, and we will continue to have high expectations for every student who enters our school doors.  

Sincerely, 

Robert S. Monroe 
Superintendent of Schools 

October 9, 2025

Dear UCS Staff and Families,

Utica Community Schools is committed to its vision of empowering all students to transform their future and the world. To that end, I want to share with you an update on an important initiative that is tied to our strategic planning process. It directly supports our vision and reflects the high expectations we have in our schools for learning and behavior outcomes for all our students.

Our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan process is grounded in the effective use of data. While UCS students continue to outperform their peers on average, there are subsets of students with unique needs who are not experiencing a level of growth when compared to all students. To truly realize our vision, we need to have an even deeper understanding of how we can support increased achievement. In addition to looking at student achievement data, information is being collected through a series of focus groups and school and classroom visits to seek a deeper answer. Student, parent and staff voices are important to the process, and representatives from each group will be included in the focus groups. 

The work is being led by a coalition composed of both district and school-based leadership and staff representing general education, English learner support, and support for students with IEPs from all levels from all areas of the district. Their work is supported by our educational partner, New Solutions K12, which provides facilitation support, a deep understanding of best-practice research, and a national perspective from other successful school districts.

In September, we began this study with a series of focus groups that gave each of our principals an opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas related to our services to support students who struggle academically. The coalition will serve as a sounding board for initial recommendations, to support our leaders in planning for implementation, and most importantly provide invaluable two-way communication with parents and staff.

In addition, district and school leaders conducted classroom visits at the elementary, junior high, high school and adult levels at ten different school and program sites, within the district, to get a feel for the instructional practices and programs in place to support individuals with disabilities and other students who struggle.

Other activities over the next few months will feature additional focus groups to continue gaining insight into our current practices and formulate recommendations to improve outcomes for all students.

We are in a great moment in time at Utica Community Schools. Our focus on the future would not be possible without our talented and committed staff, the partnerships we have with our families and communities, a strong strategic planning process, and a legacy of excellence that reflects our community’s enduring values.  

We look forward to the journey ahead and how we can continue to partner for the success of all our students. 

Sincerely,

Robert S. Monroe
Superintendent of Schools

September 10, 2025

Dear UCS Families,

Relationships have always been an important part of the UCS Legacy of Excellence.

Belonging impacts every facet of our district. It ensures that students are connected, engaged and empowered as they pursue their passion in academics, athletics and the arts. 

A sense of belonging fosters a safe environment where students feel a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment as they share success with their peers and trusted teachers and staff members.

During the 2025-26 school year, we will build on our Legacy of Excellence as we continue the work of our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan. Over the next few months, we will be sharing additional information with you on two key initiatives that reflect this commitment.

First, we are reviewing our student achievement data. While our UCS students achieve at levels that on average outpace their state and national peers, we must continue to challenge ourselves to grow even further. For instance we need to consider:

• How can we improve outcomes for all students?
• How can we help students with specialized needs grow and develop at higher levels?
• How can we provide our teachers with the resources and needed structure to help support our students?

Discussions around student achievement will start this process in the weeks and months ahead. District leaders will be examining data and working with teachers and staff members to gain a deeper understanding of students with unique needs. When it comes to student achievement, innovation and growth must build on past success while exploring new pathways for the future.

In a similar fashion, we are continuing to evaluate our enrollment patterns. The implementation of our 2023 Safety and Success Bond Issue allowed us to begin the transformation of school buildings.

The Enrollment Distribution Advisory Committee (EDAC), which is comprised of representatives from each school, continues to review enrollment projections and facility utilization within UCS. As they review the data, they will provide the district with feedback regarding updates and improvements for existing facilities and educational programs and pathways.

For example, this year we reopened a reconstructed DeKeyser Elementary and are moving forward with plans to improve Graebner Elementary and Havel Elementary. These improvements included changes to our attendance areas that connect neighborhoods and better follow major landmarks and boundary lines. The EDAC will continue their work and review other areas of the school district. Updates are posted at this link.

These two strategic initiatives, “Student Achievement” and “Attendance and Enrollment” are the next steps within the long-range UCS Empowered Strategic Plan. As we follow the plan and continue the work, we will keep you informed and engaged. 

Finally, as we work to foster a sense of belonging, I would like to invite you to the second annual UCS Family Wellness Fair. This event reflects the district’s Culture of Caring, a priority in our UCS Empowered Strategic Plan, by giving families an opportunity to explore resources that support student success in the classroom while also promoting growth and wellness.

The fair will be this Saturday, September 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Eisenhower High School. More information is at this link.

Be it attending wellness and back to school events, watching fall athletes compete, or listening to our bands, we create a strong community. By partnering with our families, building on the talent of our staff, and capitalizing on the strengths of our district, we continue to build upon our legacy of excellence. 

Thank you for your continued support! We are off to a great start! 

Sincerely,

Robert S. Monroe
Superintendent of Schools