The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Board narrows superintendent search
Vacancy left by Oegema could be filled by June
By Daniel Lai, Editor
PUBLISHED: May 24, 2007
As the end of the school year approaches and the retirement of Manchester Community Schools Superintendent David Oegema looming, all eyes are on the Board of Education to fill the vacancy left by Oegema before classes resume in the fall.
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"We've interviewed five candidates and have since been able to further narrow those choices down to our top two candidates," Board of Education president Ron Ellison said.
Board Treasurer Lyndon Uphaus said James Craig, executive director of curriculum and instruction at Niles Community Schools in Niles, Mich., and Shawn Lewis-Lakin, executive director for student performance at Chelsea School District, are the two remaining finalists out of a pool of 24 applicants.
"The process is going well," he said. "I think we have some real good candidates. We're hoping to have our final decision by June 4."
Ellison said Lewis-Lakin and Craig both visited Manchester on Wednesday and Thursday.
"It was basically a chance for them to interact with the community," he said. "We want to see if the community approves of the candidates the search committee has chosen. That information will be gathered and used as we make this decision."
In March, residents and parents who have students enrolled at Manchester were invited to voice their expectations for the new superintendent.
"I think both of these candidates have strengths in areas that Manchester is looking for," Ellison said. "We want to concentrate on curriculum and finance in the coming years. We've made improvements to the buildings, infrastructure and transportation. Now it's time to look at some other aspects.
"I think both candidates can address our new goals."
Ellison said next week, members of the search committee will travel to Chelsea and Niles to observe how the candidates interact in their own environments.
"The entire process is time consuming because it is thorough," he said. "You don't make any hasty decisions on a position like this one."
Once all the information is gathered from the visits, Ellison said the candidates will go through another round of interviews before the committee makes their final decision.
In a previous interview, Oegema said he feels the district is in good shape for his successor.
"This is a nice district to come into and improve," he said. "The buildings are in good shape. The curriculum is in good shape. We're OK. We still have a 10 percent fund equity, which will take care of emergencies."
Oegema said that cuts have already been made to balance the budget, so the new superintendent will be able to start off in good shape.
Oegema said the next superintendent should consider three priorities for the district: curriculum, finances and public relations.
"The issues are changing," he said. "There is less that a school can do; more challenges."
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