School Board Roundup: ELHS Hires New Associate Principal; Board Approves Roof Repairs

Dorcas Shumake was hired as an associate principal at East Lansing High School during Monday night’s school board meeting. Shumake had served as ELHS dean of students since fall 2023 and replaces Quiana Davis, who announced her resignation from the position in December.

“Like I’ve said in our meetings and interviews before,” Shumake said after the board approved her appointment, “I just want to go home knowing that I did an excellent job serving these kids and working with our team. I’m excited about all the good work we’re going to continue to do.”

At the brief meeting, which lasted less than 30 minutes, the board also approved $843,000 to replace the roof at MacDonald Middle School. Treasurer Kath Edsall said the project is part of a long-term plan to replace roofing sections across district buildings over time, rather than undertaking a single, large-scale project.

“The roof on MacDonald has several leaks that have been fixed periodically, but it has reached the point where it needs to be replaced in its entirety,” Director of Finance Lisa Allen said. “It has been included in the sinking fund budget for a couple of years, and this is the year we needed to complete it. We wanted to make sure we obtained the bid early enough to secure the best pricing possible.”

Construction will take place this summer.

During her report to the board, Superintendent Dori Leyko shared that the annual kindergarten and pre-K informational night will be held Feb. 24 at MacDonald Middle School, with additional time and format information to be released soon.

Leyko also announced scholarship recipients from East Lansing High School. Three students received the 2026 James W. Butler III and Mark S. McDaniel Legacy Scholarship and were recognized at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Celebration on Jan. 19. Lundyn Elum, Gabrielle Ferguson, and Taliyah Andrews wrote winning essays on the theme “Until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream,” a bible verse King referenced in his “I Have a Dream” speech.

The superintendent also addressed recent weather-related school closures and the district’s decision-making process for canceling school.

“We know that school is a safe and warm place for our students,” Leyko said, “and that many of our kids rely on receiving hot, healthy meals at school. At the same time, we must prioritize student safety when it comes to traveling to and from school in winter weather, including walkers, students waiting at bus stops and our teen drivers.”