Among a state record of 399 school designations this year, four area school districts have been included as 2025 MI HEARTSafe award recipients.
Here are the schools honored:
- Big Rapids
- Eastwood Elementary (designated 2023-2026)
- Big Rapids High School (designated 2023-2026)
- Evart
- Evart Middle School (designated 2025-2028)
- Fremont
- Pathfinder Elementary (designated 2023-2026)
- Daisy Brook Elementary (designated 2023-2026)
- Fremont Middle School (designated 2023-2026)
- Fremont High School (designated 2023-2026)
- Quest High School (designated 2023-2026)
- Lakeview
- Lakeview Elementary (designated 2023-2026)
- Lakeview Middle School (designated 2023-2026)
- Lakeview High School (designated 2023-2026)
All of these schools have been named as first-time recipients except for Big Rapids High School, which recieved an award renewal this year.
The MI HEARTSafe program launched in 2013 and has given out a total of 1,196 school awards. Currently, 965 schools hold the designation across the state.
Criteria for qualifying as MI HEARTSafe, the school must meet the following criteria:
- Maintain a written cardiac emergency response plan and a team capable of responding to emergencies during school hours and extracurricular activities.
- Ensure at least 10% of staff and 50% of coaches are CPR/automated external defibrillator (AED)-certified, including 100% of head coaches and physical education staff.
- Have a sufficient number of accessible, well-maintained and clearly marked AEDs.
- Conduct annual cardiac emergency response drills.
- Complete pre-participation sports screenings for all student athletes using the current physical and history form endorsed by MHSAA.
This year’s honorees will be celebrated during an MHSAA hybrid ceremony, taking place both virtually and in person in East Lansing on Friday, Nov. 7.
Release information courtesy of the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.
Article updated on Monday, Nov. 3, at 5:30 p.m. to add Evart to the list of schools honored.
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