New superintendent selected for SL schools

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

SPRING LAKE — The Spring Lake Public Schools Board of Education is ready to move the district forward with a new superintendent.

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After a day full of meetings, tours and interviews with the top two candidates, the board on Tuesday night voted to enter into contract negotiations with Dennis Furton, superintendent at Bath Community Schools.

The unanimous decision was met with applause from the audience of teachers, administrators and community members.

"This is an exciting time, a happy time for us," said Spring Lake school board President Madonna Kramer. "I think you'll see the community really come together under Dennis' leadership. I think great things are yet to happen in Spring Lake — greater even than people think."

Furton, 38, has held his position at Bath, a district about half the size of Spring Lake, for the past two years. He previously served as principal for both Glen Lake Community Schools in Maple City and Onekama Consolidated Schools in Onekama.

If negotiations are successful, he will fill the vacancy created when longtime SLPS Superintendent Larry Mason retired in January.

"I'm a little overwhelmed at the prospect of replacing someone who led for 17 years and did so much good in the district," Furton said this morning. "Larry's fingerprints are on everything, and it's a big job to come in and lead a district that has had such success. But I'm also very excited and energized. I think it will give me a boost to be working here."

The board's decision comes after a nationwide search and five months of research — both on what the district and community wanted in a leader, and what each applicant brought to the table.

On March 15, after interviewing six candidates, the board chose Furton and Decatur Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Godwin as its top finalists. The district then sent small groups of administrators, teachers and board members to visit the candidates' respective districts and learn more about their leadership styles.

On Tuesday, both candidates spent the day in Spring Lake, meeting with teachers and support staff and touring the district's new aquatic center. The board then held hour-long second interviews with both Furton and Godwin.

During board discussion following the interviews, Trustee John Nametz described the search process as "a little like a roller-coaster ride," with months of work leading up to the two weeks of interviews and decision-making.

"I can assure you that this has been a long, long process — and I can assure you that this is not happening quick enough," Nametz told the audience. "We need to make our decision and then we need to get started focusing on relationships and doing what's best for our kids.

"I've been taking notes during these interviews — but I can tell you that when I heard Dennis talking, I stopped taking notes and I just listened," Nametz added. "I think he's a motivator and a visionary. ... I think we're afraid of change, but having someone different at the helm doesn't mean that our Laker tradition will go away."

Kramer said that while both candidates were more than qualified, the board was most impressed by Furton's leadership style and his emphasis on both the educational process and personal relationships. She also said they appreciated the way he encourages leadership from many people in the district, rather than just the superintendent.

Those in the audience Tuesday expressed support for the board's decision. Spring Lake High School Principal Mike Gilchrist, formerly a candidate for the superintendent position, said he was "very excited" by what he saw in Furton.

"I think as a district, we're re-energized to know who our leader is going to be," said Gilchrist. "I found both (candidates) to be very strong, but Dennis possessed the unique skills to move us from good to great — he has the edge to be able to do that. I think our staff is excited to have a strong leader and we can accomplish great things with him."

Kramer said a committee of a few board members, with advice from the district's legal counsel and the Michigan Association of School Boards, will now begin negotiating a total compensation package with Furton. She said they hope to have a contract completed and approved by the board's next meeting on April 21.

Assuming the contract is in place, Furton will officially start around July 1, but he hopes to visit Spring Lake as frequently as his schedule will allow before then. He said his first priority will be getting to know the district and its staff.

"Everyone I met through this process made me feel welcome and showed me how much pride they have in Spring Lake," Furton said today. "It's a great place to live, the community is supportive of its schools — there's no telling how much better Spring Lake can be.

"I woke up this morning more excited than when I went to bed last night," he added. "I know this is right for me. My head is ready, my heart is ready. I wish I didn't have to wait three months, but I hope once I get started that it will be another 15 years, 17 years for me like it was for Larry."