The Alpena Public Schools Board of Education on June 1 selected the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB), headquartered in Lansing, to search for a replacement for its superintendent.
Current Superintendent John VanWagoner has accepted an offer for the same position at Traverse City Area Public Schools.
A report in the Alpena News said the school board did not take a vote but agreed on MASB's selection verbally.
The MASB was one of two Michigan-based firms VanWagoner recommended to the board. The other firm is the Michigan Leadership Institute, located in Flint.
VanWagoner told the school board it could consider a national placement firm, but cautioned they are usually more expensive to hire, possibly three times the price of the Michigan firms.
The School Board has had a working relationship with one of the MASB’s consultants, Rich Ramsey. Ramsey, an educational consultant for the Wolgast Corp., helped Alpena Schools with an earlier bond effort.
VanWagoner said Ramsey is familiar with the community and indicated his knowledge of the area could prove an asset in the selection process.
“I do think that would speed up your process without losing any integrity, from that standpoint, and it would buy you a few weeks in the aspect of comfortability,” VanWagoner was quoted in the Alpena News. “I wanted to give you those thoughts, because time is of the essence.”
Board Vice President Steven Donajkowski also recommended the board select MASB.
“I think they will have the best insight as to what we are in need of and what we are looking for,” he said, as reported by the Alpena News.
Board Member Stacey Parr agreed Ramsey would be a plus, noting that she had prior experience with him working on the bond issue.
“For those who haven’t met him or haven’t spent a lot of time with him, he’s very accessible and very easy to talk to, and would be able to take our needs and wants and put them to best use,” she said in the Alpena News.
Board President Gordon Snow asked members of the board to screen candidates and pick one to serve in an interim position upon VanWagoner’s departure.
Alerts Sign-up