Muskegon Heights Public School Academy and Mosaica Agree to Conclude Partnership Academy Board to Secure New Operator

After lengthy discussions and thoughtful consideration, the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy Board of Education and Mosaica Education, Inc. have agreed to end their affiliation. The MHPSA board today unanimously supported a resolution to conclude its relationship with Mosaica as the system’s education service provider at the end of the current school year. Mosaica’s board had previously approved a similar resolution.
Higher than expected costs related to building renovations and special education programs and a lower than expected student count for the current school year has placed stress on the System’s tenuous finances. “This was a difficult decision for us and our board,” said Mosaica Chief Executive Officer Michael Connelly. “We are very proud of the academic turnaround we were able to achieve under the leadership of Alena Zachery-Ross, our Regional Vice President and the Superintendent for the System.”
“It was also a difficult but necessary decision for the board,” said MHPSA Board of Education chair Arthur Scott. “We appreciate all of the hard work from Mosaica, System teachers and staff, and from our student families. “Going forward, we will continue to take every step necessary to ensure that we offer a quality education to each and every student in the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System.”
When MHPSA first began operations, students tested between one and three grade levels behind where they should have been. Some students were as far as five years behind. Recent data has demonstrated educational improvement, with some grade levels showing dramatic increases in academic achievement. Recent MEAP data has been posted on the system’s website.

Emergency Manager Gregory Weatherspoon thanked Mosaica and the MHPSA board for their accomplishments: “We continue to see improvement on the education side of things, and that is a terrific story. While there have been financial challenges, we continue to work with the State to address some structural issues and have laid the groundwork for a stronger fiscal future. We will begin the process of identifying a new education service provider as soon as possible, and will be ready to open our buildings for the 2014-2015 school year.”