Fruitport names interim co-superintendents

Thu, Jun 18, 2009    to del.icio.us

FRUITPORT — A pair of administrators will temporarily fill in as superintendent of Fruitport Community Schools as the district searches for Nick Ceglarek's replacement.

Pam Kihn, the school district's director of management services; and Wendy Somers, director of curriculum and instruction, will act as co-superintendents once Ceglarek heads to his new post as superintendent of the Hudsonville school district July 1.

Fruitport school board Vice President Dave Hazekamp said Somers and Kihn will share the post from July 1 to Oct. 1. If they don't have someone in Ceglarek's seat by October, they may look for an outside superintendent, Hazekamp said.

"If this was during the school year, it might be a little different," Hazekamp said. "In the summer, there are not as many staff and student issues to deal with."

This week, the Michigan Association of School Boards began assisting Fruitport's school board with the search for a new top administrator.

"There are already some candidates that have been making some calls and doing some preliminary work, so we feel good about that," Hazekamp said.

He said the school board may begin interviewing candidates by mid-July. Kihn said neither her nor Somers is interested in becoming Fruitport's next superintendent, but they hope to transition the district smoothly to a new superintendent.

"Both Wendy and I have the same philosophy as our current superintendent," Kihn said. "We want to continue moving the district in the direction we're headed in. It's all about kids, and having good relationships with staff."