Goodrich Superintendent Kim Hart’s job hunt has been delayed.
After offering Hart the top spot for the Whitmore Lake School District last week, the school board tabled a contract offer for Hart at the Aug. 13 school board meeting.
John Mayleben, president of the Whitmore Lake School Board, said the contract for Hart was discussed at the Aug.13 meeting and will require further review by school attorneys before an agreement can be signed. Mayleben would not disclose details of the deal, however, he did say a multi-year contract, along with a minimum salary of $107,000 per year for Hart, was included. Contract approval and discussion is expected on Aug. 27.
A vote of 6-1 placed Hart on administrative leave at a July 26 special meeting of the board of education and former Mt. Morris Superintendent Larry Allen was hired on an interim basis. The decision to place Hart on leave comes on the heels of several setbacks for Hart, including a lukewarm review from the board and tensions with the teachers? union and their sympathizers concerning contract issues. Still, Hart’s contract was recently extended until March 22, 2008.
However, if the recent contract with the Whitmore Lake School District is signed by Hart, the $119,000 Goodrich contract will be changed.
‘Once she has gained employment there’s no further obligation by Goodrich,? said Michael Tripp, Goodrich School Board president. ‘I wish her all the best.?
Hart was selected for the Whitmore Lake superintendent position by a 6-0 vote on Aug. 1.
‘She’s a good fit,? said Mayleben. ‘It was an extensive interview process which included a number of site visits to Goodrich Schools and the community. We had a group of about 10 from our school and community go to the Goodrich area.?
The Whitmore Lake School District, with a student enrollment of about 1,300, currently has a multi-year contract in place through 2009 with the teachers? union. The district also passed a millage in June 2003, added Mayleben, and constructed a new high school, along with extensive remodeling of the middle school and elementary school. The district is located between Brighton and Ann Arbor in the Washtenaw Intermediate School Distict.
‘Mrs. Hart was selected for the superintendent position here due to her K-12 curriculum experience and the fact that amid the turmoil in Goodrich, she continued to move the district forward,? said Mayleben. Sometimes when issues are ongoing, districts grind to a halt. But Hart continued to build momentum in the right direction.?
Mayleben says the board anticipates Hart to begin the job before the start of the school year, Sept. 4.
Scott Menzel, Whitmore Lake’s former superintendent, replaced Sally Vaughn as superintendent of the Livingston Educational Service Agency.