Kingston Community School District

September 29, 2026

Dear Kingston School Community,

The 2026-2027 school year is in full swing! While there have been a handful of significant changes in the district, our emphasis is the same - educate our students to the best of our ability in the safest manner possible. Kingston has a tradition of excellence in education and that will continue!

Due to the efforts of staff and students, our academic scores overall have been rising. Spring of 2026 M-Step scores have been released. There are seven main grades that are assessed in both language arts and math. In nearly every grade last year, Kingston exceeded the state and county averages in proficiency in both language arts and math. In the county, Kingston most often ranks anywhere from first to third in the county. Progress is being made, with more work to be done.

One of the things I have heard about most since I have arrived is our declining enrollment. It is true, there is a degree of declining enrollment. This is due to different factors, and many residents have different explanations and opinions for this. I would like to present you with some information that contributes to this through data and student migration patterns.

In the February 2007 student count, our district K-12 enrollment was 654, and in the February 2011 count enrollment stood at 613. At the end of 2026, the Kingston Community School District enrollment was 577, which indicates a decrease in 12% since 2007. During that same time period, statewide student enrollment has decreased 16%, and our regional enrollment has decreased 36%. As you can see, enrollment decreases are an issue statewide.

One of the indicators of enrollment projections is birthrate. In 2011, the Tuscola County birthrate was 526. In 2024, the Tuscola County birthrate dropped to 434 - a decrease of 17%. In using county birthrate trends only, it is projected that our enrollment will be down to 532 by 2029. It is noteworthy that our enrollment decreases have been less than the birthrate trend.

I realize I am giving you lots of numbers, but I am trying to provide as much transparent information as possible. I have a few more sets of data for you. In 2026, Kingston had 200 incoming School of Choice students, with 108 outgoing - a net percentage of 16% more incoming than outgoing. I do not have solid numbers on how many school of choice students were accepted or declined in past years, but districts have the opportunity to decline incoming School of Choice students if they have had suspensions due to student discipline the previous two years. This fall, I turned down all 10 student applications to attend Kingston via School of Choice due to this criteria. As a side effect, the families chose not to send the siblings of these students either, which also would have impacted our enrollment.

I give you all this information for a few reasons. First, I want people to know solid academic and enrollment information as this is often a main topic on a community’s mind. Second, I want to encourage our community that Kingston is still a place families are choosing to send their children to.

It is more natural to look at the negatives, perceived negatives, or the sky is falling scenarios. I do not believe that is the case in Kingston. There are great things happening in Kingston and we are working on making them even better.

Yours in Education,



Jeffrey J. Yorke, Superintendent
Kingston Community Schools

Homecoming is tomorrow! The parade is at 5:30 PM, and the game starts at 7 PM. Come out and support your Kingston Cardinals! 7th-grade representatives are Lacy Binder, Evalynn Sabo, Bryce Waun, and Andrew Shaver. Princess candidates are Nova Herron, Justine Armstrong, and MacKenzie McGuire. Prince candidates are Cooper Wood, Emmett Osborn, and Drake Misener. 9th-grade representatives are Aubrey Borek, Blakelinn Price, and Elijah Mitchell. 10th-grade representatives are Helene vanRijn, Brooklyn Gilley, Preston Brady, and Colin Radabaugh. 11th-grade representatives are Haley Kelley, Abigale Chase, and Levi Legg. Queen candidates are Molly Landrum, Brianna Rayl, and Peyton Michalski. King candidates are Aiden Flynn, Brody Pholod, and Cato Ramirez.

Homecoming is right around the corner! The Jr/Sr High Spirit Week schedule is attached. We hope to see lots of participation!

Please come out and show your support for Kingston High School Powderpuff participants! The volleyball game is on Monday, September 21st, and the football game is on Wednesday, September 23rd. Both will start at 7:00 pm. $1 admission for any non-participants. Popcorn and drinks will be sold. All proceeds will go toward Homecoming and Snowcoming events put on by the Student Council.

Happy International Dot Day! 🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣 Today, our KES Cardinals joined in on the global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration inspired by Peter H. Reynolds' beloved children's book The Dot, which tells the story of a teacher who dares a doubting student to "make her mark". 🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵🟣 Mrs. Pomaville read the book to each class, then students from Young Fives to 6th grade were given a range of colors and materials to use to create their dots. Dot display coming soon!

Kingston Connected hosted their 2nd Annual Back to School Bash at KES last Saturday and it was a total blast! Thank you to all the kiddos and families who participated again this year. Special thanks to Fantastic Foam Party 🫧 and Poncho Villa Cocina 🌮 for helping our Cardinal kiddos celebrate the beginning of another awesome school year!

The student's selected "As Seen on TV" for this year's Homecoming theme:
Seniors - Spongebob
Juniors - Full House
Sophomores - NFL Showtime
Freshmen - Stranger Things
8th Grade - My Little Pony
7th Grade - Looney Tunes

Bon Appetit! 📚 KES 5th and 6th graders were treated to a book tasting event in Ms. Kolacz's class last week. Here's the scoop: Ms. Kolacz's says, "I host a book tasting with my fifth and sixth grade students as an engaging and interactive way for them to explore a variety of book genres. During the activity, students rotate through different genre stations and spend a few minutes with each book, reading and recording their first impressions. This experience allows them to discover new genres, authors, and topics they may not have chosen on their own. Our book tasting fosters enthusiasm for reading, promotes independent books, selection, and helps students find titles that align with their interests – all of which help contribute to building lifelong readers." Thanks for dishing up some fun for our Cardinals, Ms. Kolacz!

September's KHS Staff Spotlight is Mrs. Hanby, thank you for all that you do for Kingston students.

Some of our KES Cardinals earned book tokens after competing in a Back to School logic game challenge this week in Mrs. Pomaville's class. Teams worked together to solve problems using critical thinking skills and collaboration. The smiles say it all! 😊

Chain of Champions Award 🥇 At KES, we work daily to recognize our students for all the positive things we see and hear them doing. It's time to recognize our staff for the positive impact they pour in to our school community on the daily! Congratulations to Mrs. Gentner, our school social worker extraordinaire! Principal, Heather Selich, awarded Mrs. Gentner The Chain of Champions this week for her outstanding work all over our building! From planning monthly CARDS assemblies to advocating for our students to supporting our staff, she truly does it all. THANK YOU, Mrs. Gentner, for being a Champion for Kingston Elementary! Wear the Chain of Champions with Cardinal Pride! ❤️🖤

A huge thank you to Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. of Clifford for their generous donation of school supplies for the 26-27 school year. Students are already putting them to good use.

August 25, 2026


Dear Kingston Families and Staff,

Thank you for a great first day of the school year! It has been awesome seeing our hallways full of students and staff and we look forward to a great year. There is more transition going on than normal to start a school year and despite that the year has started off in an outstanding way.

A few weeks ago, Kingston Community Schools hired Mrs. Heather Selich to be our Kingston Elementary School Principal for this school year. Mrs. Selich is a recently retired school administrator and we are excited for her to add leadership and stability to our school.

In our Jr./Sr. High School building, Mrs. Coleman has announced she is taking a position in a school district closer to her home. We are happy to have her to start the school year with us, and she will be here through September 4. Our plan is to post the position and have a full time Principal hired to begin January 1, 2027. During the period of Mrs. Coleman’s departure and our hiring of a new Principal, I will assist and serve in Principal duties through September. From October through December, we will have an Interim Principal who is a recently retired Principal from a nearby district. We will announce that person at a later date as we are currently completing contract details with that person.

Again, thank you all for your part in a great first day of school! It takes each of us to positively do our best in making school the best environment for our students.

Educationally Yours,
Jeffrey J Yorke
Jeffrey J. Yorke, Superintendent
Kingston Community Schools

2025-2026 yearbooks will be available starting Monday, August 24th. They can be picked up in the high school student office during school hours. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bundschuh.

Kingston Athletic Boosters are having their meeting on August 19 at 5:00pm in room 36 at the high school. The concession committee will meet immediately after. All are encouraged to come.

KES Classroom Supply Lists: https://aptg.co/gvQnRC

KES Open House Thursday, August 20, 2026 4:00-6:00 pm See you there!

KHS is excited to welcome our new junior high ELA teacher, Mrs. Samantha Lach.