GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Public Schools superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal says she will retire in June 2019 after 44 years with the district, the last seven as superintendent.
On Monday night at a board meeting, many of the Board of Education members thanked Weatherall Neal for her service and said they were sorry to see her go. But they are happy she is staying long enough to lead the district into the Promise Zone.
Grand Rapids is now one of 15 Michigan communities where students who graduate from high school may be promised at least two years of college tuition.
“It includes children from the Christian schools, charter schools, Catholic schools, the entire city,” explains Weatherall Neal. “It is an opportunity for children to literally change their lives.”
On Monday night, the school board voted to accept the Promise Zone designation from the Michigan Department of Treasury. There are still details to work out and money to raise, but Weatherall Neal says she is confident the community will support the Promise Zone program.
“Because when we come together as a community and decide what we are going to do for our students we come together and make that happen,” she says.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.