Andrew Robins

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is looking for a new president. It announced on Tuesday, February 12, that CEO Peter Gistelinck is no longer there but didn’t give a reason for his departure.

After years of declining enrollment, the number of students in the Kalamazoo Public Schools rose after the Kalamazoo Promise college scholarship program was announced in 2005. That’s according to a new report by the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. It says the biggest impact on enrollment is keeping families in the district. Senior Researcher Michelle Miller-Adams says the Promise and similar programs in other communities also attract new families. The report says they can also help improve school district performance by emphasizing a “college-going culture.” And Miller-Adams says that can make a community more attractive to new businesses.