Superintendent's Page

Bruce Caswell - Interim Superintendent

4555 Knowles Road

North Adams, MI 49262

(517) 689-1709

bruce.caswell@najps.org

The Michigan Association of School Boards is conducting the search for the next Superintendent of North Adams-Jerome Schools.  Staff, community members and parents are encouraged to complete the survey below,  before October 17, 2025.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NAJsearch

Survey results will be compiled by the MASB. No one, other than the MASB, will have access to the individual responses.


Bruce Caswell Introduction

Welcome to North Adams-Jerome Public Schools!

Technology Issues/PowerSchool Issues

If you are experiencing any Technology or PowerSchool issues, please fill out the following Google Form and a member of the Admin Team will resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Weather Delays and School Closings

As the fall season approaches and the cooler temperatures begin to become more frequent, I wanted to take this opportunity to review the Communication Protocol for Weather Delays and School Closings. My goal is to lay out our process so you can be more informed on the how, what, when and why of our inclement weather decisions.

General Protocol For Snow

When snow falls overnight or in the early morning hours, the superintendent and the transportation director drive in different areas of the district, on both main streets and back roads, to get as complete a picture of conditions as possible. Many factors play into making important and timely decisions including:

-Amount and type of precipitation

-Temperature/wind chill

-Visibility

-Status of clearing roads and back roads

-Refreeze of melted snow/ice from the previous day

-Continued snow in the forecast

Between 4:00am and 4:45am, we go for a drive and conditions are assessed across the area including our surrounding school districts. By 5:00am, the superintendent and the transportation director discuss the conditions and the superintendent will email staff to inform them of the decision for the day. At 5:30am, a robo call will be made informing families of the school closure or delay. The closure or delay would then be placed on WILX. 

General Protocol for Extreme Cold & Wind

When dealing with the extreme cold, the process is a little different. There is no magic number for school delays/cancellations when it comes to air temperatures and/or wind chills because there are so many variables to consider. We closely monitor the National Weather Service for regular updates. 

For Extremely Cold Temperatures:

Air temperatures that are forecasted significantly below 0 degrees for 6am, when our students are headed to the bus stops, could trigger a two-hour delay.

If those temperatures are not forecasted to improve by 10am, when a two-hour delay would end, then school could be canceled.

For Extreme Wind Chill:

Wind chill prediction is more of a moving target than air temperatures because of varying wind speeds from place to place. We look at the locally forecasted wind chills for our district and if they’re predicted to fall near -10 degrees by 6am, we would consider a two-hour delay.

If wind chills are not expected to improve by 10am, when a two-hour delay would end, we would consider a cancellation.

When do you make the final call?

  • The goal is to inform all staff between 5:00am and 5:30am.

  • The goal is to inform families by 5:30am to ensure as much time to align work and childcare plans as possible.

  • When possible, a final call may be made the evening before.

District Mission, Vision, and Core Values

In the Fall Semester of the 23-24SY, the district mission, vision, and core values were updated to reflect the direction of the district. This is our identity and the overarching direction the district is moving in.

Mission Statement 

The North Adams-Jerome Public School District will inspire our student body to achieve academic excellence and make a positive contribution in our community.  We promote and prepare each student to be a lifelong learner. In partnership with families and the community, our mission is to provide the opportunity for all students to learn and succeed by promoting critical thinking in a safe and secure environment.  

Core Belief Statements

The North Adams-Jerome Public School District believes that all members of the school community should:

  1. Promote student learning that will be enriched by family and community partnerships.

  2. Engage in critical thinking to achieve high academic standards.

  3. Assist students in gaining mastery of the fundamental tools for learning. 

  4. Demonstrate honest and ethical behavior.

  5. Foster social, physical, and emotional development as a foundation of student learning.

Vision Statement 

The North Adams-Jerome Public School District will work collaboratively with members of the community to prepare and motivate our students to utilize critical thinking skills, honesty, perseverance, and compassion in the pursuit of academic excellence and lifetime learning. We will focus on the whole person academically, socially, physically and emotionally to ensure success both in and beyond the classroom. We will foster not only the ability for each student to attain entrance in higher education, trade, military, or the workforce, but the ability to sustain and succeed in that post secondary environment.