Every story, update, and announcement from the Pontiac 60 community. Stay connected with what's happening across our programs.

Pontiac 60- Key School District Strategic Plan
Upon evaluation, the current Pontiac School District Strategic Plan received an F-level rating. Rather than detailing specific short- and long-term strategic initiatives, the plan relied solely on broad and general narratives. Notably absent from the published Strategic Plan were any quantifiable deliverables, goals, or expectations. - What should the community expect for academic and educational improvement? - What budget expectations? - What are the enrollment goals? Community engagement in reviewing the Plan has been limited. An official inquiry has been submitted by the Pontiac 60 regarding the plan’s development process, its contributors, and the associated costs. Note Grounded in official narratives rather than rumors or innuendos, the Pontiac 60 Group notes reports indicating that the Pontiac School District paid an outside consultant over $150K for the Strategic Plan. By comparison, similar consulting engagements in other school districts typically cost approximately $30K and include considerably more detail and oversight. An official response has been requested by the Pontiac 60 group regarding the process that resulted in a strategic plan of this caliber for the community. If you would like to review the Pontiac School District Strategic Plan click the following link. https://bit.ly/Pontiac_School_District_Strategic_Plan

Touchpointe 6 MRI Tool Presented here is a diagnostic identifying an underperforming district, using the updated measurables as its basis. The measurement includes - Retention percentage of students - Parents' involvement level (Parent Profiles), - Community synergy around the school district - Sports participation and programs (YAP) Grade. - Community knowledge of school district decisions and initiatives (community index). - Academic Trend Lines Review the Information Video

The lowest test scores and graduation rates in Michigan, the people running it have not taken pay cuts to match.
Pontiac 60 Review of Board Compensation Among all boards examined, Pontiac receives the highest compensation despite serving fewer students and operating fewer buildings. According to the Pontiac 60, this disparity runs contrary to broader trends and has not yielded measurable improvements in education or development outcomes. Are the current board members there for the kids and community or are they there for the Check? This must be addressed immediately!! Pontiac 60 will advocate that the board get their compensation in line with other districts. This should be a major conversation in the next school board election for the community. School Board members are designed to be a volunteer position for individuals that will represent the interest of the community and students. It is not designed to be a paid part time job. The Pontiac School Board members receive $200 for every meeting. This must change. This is the same district that is closing schools based on budgetary issues School Board Compensation Comparison Compensation Per Board Member District Enrollment Pontiac $16,888 3721 Troy $100 12600 Rochester $0 15000 Southfield $1,500 5100 Oxford $720 5600 Bloomfield $0 4995 Avondale $840 4800 All district provide expense reimbursement

In 2001, Avondale stunned Michigan high school basketball community by winning the Class B state championship. For local fans, it was a powerful example of the area’s strong youth basketball culture, especially as Pontiac Northern was on its way to back-to-back Class A state titles. That Avondale team was led by Mike Lewis, who later earned first-team all-state honors in football and basketball, and Dave Holsten, under the leadership of coach Tim Morton. The 2025-26 Avondale team finished with a 26-2 record after falling to Rockford in the championship game. Led by Noah Bond and Caleb Ross, the team included several players with strong Pontiac roots. At Pontiac 60, we congratulate the school, coaching staff, and young men on a job well done. Success is a learned quality; it does not happen by chance. Great work, Yellowjackets. Go to the Bow Files Page for the Interview with assistant coach Sean Moore

- Over the past ten years, academic and educational metrics for the Pontiac School District, as reflected in State Index Scores, have shown no upward trajectory, leaving the district positioned within the lowest 10% of all districts statewide. - Despite operating on one of the largest per-student budget among all districts in Oakland County, the Pontiac School District has seen its academic and educational metrics hold flat with know measurable approvements. - Among Metropolitan School Districts, Pontiac records the most attrition of its students. Roughly 70% of Pontiac's enrolled students leave the district, with Detroit following at 63%. - According to a review carried out by the Touchpointe team, the district earned a failing grade for its delivery of athletics and student activities. It included low participation numbers and low performance. - A strategic plan released and approved by the district received a failing mark for its lack of defined initiatives, weak community engagement, and absence of measurable deliverables, with the document itself characterized as broad and unspecific. Reports indicate the district spent $130K on a consultant for this effort, while comparable long-term strategic planning engagements at other districts have typically ranged between $10K and $30K. The Pontiac 60 intends to ask how the planning process was structured and why no quantifiable metric goals were included. - For 2025/2026, the district approved a budget projecting $118M in revenue against $117M in expenditures, yielding a $560K surplus. By December, that figure had been revised downward to $100M in revenue and $104M in expenses, producing a $3.3M deficit. While the revised document explains the drop, it raises the question of why these factors were not addressed in the initial budget, and several board members questioned on the matter appeared unfamiliar with the situation. - Back in May 2025, several problems with the district's athletics website were flagged for its attention, including an outdated link from the former AD and Superintendent dating back at least four years and tied to covid-era content, as well as schedules still showing games from two years prior. Following repeated follow-ups throughout the year, the district produced no edits whatsoever. Members of our executive team observed that the corrections would have required only about five minutes, - Pontiac's school board ranks as the highest-compensated in the state outside of Detroit, even though Detroit serves 47,000 students compared to Pontiac's 3,600. Compensation for Pontiac board members falls between $14K and $19K each, calculated at $200 per meeting, whereas most boards elsewhere receive stipends averaging around $2K annually.

Widely regarded as the nation’s top youth basketball league, the Nike EYBL Circuit features many of the country’s best high school players. This season, Pontiac’s Caden Covington and G’amir Lyles competed for The Family, a Detroit-based EYBL 15U team and the only Michigan-based team on the circuit. The EYBL holds round-robin games in four cities before the prestigious Peach Jam tournament in Augusta, Georgia. The Family went 10-3 in round-robin play across Las Vegas, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Memphis, qualifying as one of 24 teams in the championship bracket. Among The Family’s high school-age teams, only the 15U squad qualified for the championship. The team finished 1-4 in the championship round-robin stage and did not advance to the championship bracket, which was ultimately won by Kansas City-based Mokan Elite. For more information about the EYBL circuit, visit eybnike.com. Go to the Bow Files page for the following Interviews. Interview with Caden Covington Interview with J,amir Lyles
Pontiac 60 certifies its first youth sports counselor.
Pontiac 60 is proud to announce the certification of our first youth sports and activities counselor under the Touchpointe Educational Framework. This milestone represents a critical step in establishing the resource center cornerstone. Certified counselors serve as expert guides for students and parents navigating the youth sports landscape — matching children with the right programs, assessing development needs, and advocating for quality athletic experiences. Parents can connect with certified counselors through the Pontiac 60 participation program.