This week's Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce "Member Spotlight of the Week" recognition is going out to the Branch Intermediate School District (Branch I.S.D.). Read more below on why Superintendent Kris Jenkins believes that the Branch I.S.D. deserves this week's Spotlight.
The Branch Intermediate School District (ISD) is one of 57 ISD’s in the State of Michigan. We exist to serve the communities and schools of Branch County. We have three main departments: Career and Technical Education (Branch Area Careers Center - BACC), Special Education (Waldron Center and many staff out in the local schools), and Early Childhood Education (Preschool Programs in Bronson, Quincy, Girard and Lincoln). We also have a Business Office that performs facilities, accounting and human resources services.
Many people are surprised that the Branch ISD employs over 275 people. Our employees are located at the BACC, the Waldron Center, our Administration Building, at our Early Childhood Centers, and are located in all of the local school districts. The Special Education Services staff assigned in the local districts may include: special education teachers, speech pathologists, school psychologists, school social workers and/or other types of support staff for special education students.
The Branch ISD celebrates its many collaborative partnerships, and harnesses these partnerships to become more effective. Branch ISD works very closely with neighboring ISD’s like Barry, Calhoun, Hillsdale and St. Joseph County. These partnerships allow us to provide professional development to our teachers, coaching support in classrooms, and other services that would be cost prohibitive for a small ISD to offer. Kellogg Community College is another partner that is an integral and essential part of the support we offer to Branch County. In addition to these educational entities, the Branch ISD also prides itself in partnering with other non-profit and service organizations.
The mission “to ensure life-long learning opportunities to students and citizens” is truly the focus of the Branch ISD. That is why our services are focused on early education through life-long adult education. For more information on the Branch ISD, please visit our website at
www.branch-isd.org or call 517-279-5730.