GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) – An exciting new chapter is beginning for two GRPS schools, and it will be guided by a leader who knows the community well.
As Ken-O-Sha Park Elementary and Sherwood Park Global Studies Academy unite, current Ken-O-Sha Park Principal Abbie Marr will lead the newly combined school beginning with the 2025-26 school year. The transition officially begins this August, as scholars and staff from both schools come together at the Sherwood Park campus while the Ken-O-Sha Park building undergoes a major renovation.
Once the work is complete, scholars and staff will return to a reimagined Ken-O-Sha Park campus to create a new Environmental Science Academy.
Marr’s roots at GRPS run deep. She started as a teacher at Brookside Elementary in 2004 and has since served at several schools across the district.
“I just knew this would be a fun place to be,” Marr said of choosing GRPS. “I just loved the community and working with our scholars in the Grand Rapids area just really filled my bucket.”
Now Marr is looking ahead, envisioning a vibrant future for the combined school communities, rooted in nature and hands-on exploration.
“When we arrive back here at the Ken-O-Sha campus, we will be able to really dig in and enrich our scholars' learning through using the outdoor areas like Plaster Creek, like our prairie,” Marr explained. “There are so many elements that will naturally enhance our scholars' learning.”
