By Christopher Johnson
It’s that time again. The halls of Clare Public Schools are once again filled with students, teachers and the familiar sounds of another school year getting underway.
Students returned Monday for a half day, marking the first day of the new school year. According to Superintendent Matthew Forsberg, the return brought a mixture of excitement and nerves as students settled into new grades, classrooms and routines.
“It’s always exciting to have students back in the building,” Forsberg said, adding that while students may not always admit it, many enjoy seeing their teachers and friends and returning to the routine of school.
The district’s first days have gone smoothly so far, he said.
While the return to school brings familiar routines, Clare Public Schools is entering the 2026-27 school year with several new initiatives and major projects underway.
One of the district’s focuses this year will be student attendance through its participation in the “Strive for Fewer Than Five” campaign.
Forsberg said attendance is one of the strongest indicators of student success, with research pointing to five absences as an important benchmark. As absences increase beyond that point, schools tend to see more failures and lower levels of student success.
Attendance has always been a priority for the district, Forsberg said, but attendance rates declined significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic. While those numbers have begun to improve, the district plans to place additional emphasis on attendance this year.
Another major part of the school year will be continuing construction projects across the district. The primary school cafeteria is the furthest along, with the district hoping to have the new space completed and available for students sometime in September.
Forsberg said the new cafeteria will provide the primary school with a dedicated space for meals–something the school previously found wanting. Lunch had been held in the gymnasium, occupying the space for roughly four hours each school day, and preventing physical education classes from using the gym during that time.
The new cafeteria seats 250 students and will feature numerous windows overlooking the playground, polished concrete flooring, new restrooms and audio and projection equipment. The space is spacious, bright and full of natural light. Even in its current form.
Construction is also nearing completion on a new secure entrance at the high school. This will require all visitors to consult with the office before being granted entry to the actual school. Which is a great safety installation that will help identify all visitors and establish their purpose before being allowed entry. The entrance is already functional, although a few finishing touches remain.
The district’s new gymnasium is further behind in the construction process. The roof is on, but heating units and doors still need to be installed. One detail that transcends the other gym is this one’s higher ceiling. Which remedies a problem concerning sports like volleyball in which case the space was lacking.
The gym is expected to be completed in time for the 2027-28 school year.
Locker rooms connected to the new gym are also being remodeled, with the district hoping those facilities will be ready for the winter sports season. Some of the original locker rooms are being remixed with the new architecture and fixtures.
An eight-classroom addition connected to the primary school is also under construction. The classrooms will eventually be used for middle school classes and are expected to be completed on a similar timeline as the new gym. In the grand scheme of things, the structure will be a main conduit for connecting the entire campus together.
The district also began the school year with changes in administration, including the arrival of a new high school principal Tim Taylor and a new middle school Dean of Students, Kyle Carter. Who, according to the admin, have both gotten off to a good start.
The high school’s previous principal was Griffin Bohannon, who remained at Clare High School for a two-year tenure. He has now joined Shepherd Public Schools as of July, serving at the middle school level.
“Shepherd is a district I’ve respected for a long time,” he wrote on Facebook. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to join such a great community.”
Despite the changes and construction, Forsberg said the district’s focus remains on its students and the people working with them.
Clare has continued to benefit from veteran educators who go above and beyond for their students, he said, pointing to recently recognized staff members including Adam Burhans, Coach Luplow and James Winkler.
“At the end of the day, what really, really matters is the people,” Forsberg said.
He said veteran staff members also play an important role in helping newer teachers learn the expectations and culture of the district.
“We do have a lot of new folks, but those veteran staff are great role models for the new teachers and really showing them the ropes and showing them what hard work is and what the dedication it takes to be the very best they can be.”
Looking toward the end of the school year, Forsberg said his primary goal is for students to learn as much as possible and reach their potential.
He also hopes the district’s campus will be closer to normal operations by the 2027-28 school year as construction projects are completed.
Most importantly, however, Forsberg said he wants students to have a successful and safe school year.
“Those are the most important goals.”
