The Copper Country Intermediate School District will begin the year with four in-service days before school starts. The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Parents will be contacted directly concerning transportation schedules.

The CCISD will operate the following Special Education Programs for the 2020-2021 school year: Elementary programs for students with severe disabilities at Barkell Elementary; Secondary programs for students with severe disabilities at the Calumet High School; two Social Skills Teaching Programs (elementary and secondary levels) at the Learning Center; one Moderate Cognitive Impairment program/Community Transition Program at 700 Sharon Avenue in Houghton; and Mild Cognitive Impairment programs at the elementary, middle school and high school levels at the Hancock Public Schools and one in Baraga Area Schools at the elementary level. The ISD also provides school psychologists, social workers, therapists and consultants who serve the needs of students at their home districts. Early Childhood Special Education Services continue to be provided at BHK Early Childhood Centers, Tribal preschools, private preschools, day care centers and other natural environments throughout the area. Start dates for the Early Childhood programs are in accordance with BHK or preschool schedules, and parents will be notified of the dates.

The ISD continues to serve as lead agency for Early On for Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw counties. Services for children birth to age three are provided in cooperation with other agencies and services are provided in children’s homes or child care settings year-round. The ISD also serves as fiscal agent and provides oversight for the Great Start Readiness Programs, which provides preschool for children who are age four and at risk for school failure with a focus on school readiness.

The ISD continues to operate Career and Technical Education programs. At the Career Tech Center in Hancock, offerings consist of: Automotive Technology, Health Careers, Welding/Manufacturing, and Construction Technology. At Houghton County Medical Care Facility, Certified Nursing Assistant. At L’Anse Area Schools, Machine Tool, Accounting, Health Careers. At Baraga Area Schools, Construction Technology. Early Childhood Education is at Gogebic Community College; Graphics/Marketing is at Finlandia University; Mechatronics and Computer Networking/Cyber Security is at Michigan Tech; and Culinary Arts is at Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College. Career and Technical Education prepares students for a broad range of employment and training opportunities as well as post-secondary education, and allows them to explore career options available in today’s job market. The ISD also co-sponsors student programs with area schools, such as Career Day, Collective Bargaining Workshops, Touch the Future, job shadowing and worksite visitations.

The General Education Department provides services to K-12 schools in Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw counties. Services include things such as: professional development for teachers and administrators; support for the Michigan K-3 Literacy mandate; support for State and Federal mandates; leadership to foster partnerships between schools and universities; pupil accounting support; connections to community, regional and state organizations and businesses; student programs; K-12 mental health services; and a resource library for teachers.

The Western Upper Peninsula MiSTEM Network (Region 16) serves schools and communities in Houghton, Baraga, Gogebic, Ontonagon, and Keweenaw counties and provides student enrichment activities; professional development programs for teachers; community programs; partnership opportunities between business and education; curriculum support to help school districts implement state and national standards; and maintains a resource clearinghouse for teachers. http://www.wupstem.org/resources.

Partnerships are key to providing STEM experiences throughout the region. The Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative (LSSI) and the Promoting STEM Through Literature (PSTL) Maker Challenge! are two examples of the support we are providing for students, schools, and communities this fall. Visit the STEM News page to learn more.

Camp Nesbit, located 8 miles south of Sidnaw, is an educational camp with emphasis on outdoor education which is operated by the district. Many different organizations use the camp, and the ISD holds a one-week session for individuals with moderate Cognitive Impairment every June. The use of Camp Nesbit is yet to be determined due to COVID-19.

The CCISD contracts with Copper Country Mental Health Services Institute for coordination of the Comprehensive School Health Program, including Michigan Model Services, which is a state funded project to provide age appropriate health education in areas of safety, hygiene, body systems, decision making, substance abuse, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.

REMC1 (Regional Educational Media Center 1) is a service organization supporting education in the Western UP through technology and collaboration to the CCISD, GOISD (Gogebic-Ontonagon ISD), their constituent school districts, and other educational, municipal and government agencies. REMC1 provides services to support and improve instruction, including SupportNet (onsite and helpdesk technology support), advanced Internet and network services, streaming educational videos, technology planning and professional development. REMC1 also coordinates many collaborative efforts and cooperative purchasing, saving our districts hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

For further information regarding any of the above services offered by the Copper Country Intermediate School District, please call the Service Center at 482-4250, or toll free 1-800-562-7618, the Learning Center at 482-7260, the MiSTEM Center 482-0331 or REMC 1 482-4520, or 1-800-562-7613. Additional information can be obtained via the following websites: CCISD – http://www.copperisd.org and REMC 1 – http://www.remc1.org.

The CCISD is a service agency that provides special support services, help and equipment to educators in the 13 school districts in Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw Counties; and serves as a liaison between the districts and the Michigan Department of Education.

Regular Board meetings for the 2020-2021 school year will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the District’s 809 Hecla Street, Hancock facility.