On January 22, 2024, Grand Haven Area Public Schools (GHAPS) held their first meeting in the search to hire a new superintendent, having previously hired the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) to assist with the effort. The meeting brought out four school board members, a few members of the public and former GHAPS school board president John Siemion. Kristal Boyd, Nichol Stack, and Christine Baker were absent.
The meeting began with a presentation by Jay Bennett of MASB laying out the timeline and providing Michigan superintendent compensation statistics. During the meeting, MASB Representative Bennett asked the board what salary range they intended to offer. After some discussion and indecision among the board members, they requested a recommendation from the expert.
President of the Board Chris Streng asked, “If we’re looking at someone coming in, a first-time superintendent, I mean, given the size of our district, our location, cost of living, all of that, I mean, what would you say, Jay, I mean, is $182,000 really palatable?”
After Bennett showed comparable district salaries and recommended a range of $185,000 to $205,000, the GHAPS board decided to offer $190,000-$220,000 in order to entice more candidates, noting they could always raise the offer if needed. This base salary does not include other compensations such as insurance, mileage, annuity, cell phone etc. After the meeting ended, a brief discussion indicated the board would consider offering a relocation package in the $3,000 range.
It appears the board anticipates hiring a candidate that does not have prior superintendent experience. This was indicated in Streng’s statement above and when Marc Eickholt countered against a high-end salary of $230,000 saying, “I think we’re also looking for someone who is a 7-to-11-year kind of person.”
The board mentioned that passing a bond was the most significant upcoming challenge for the district. Again, board member Carl Treutler emphasized the importance of merit. He advocated for a higher salary end bracket of $230,000 to attract candidates with experience.
The district posted the superintendent job opening on MISTAFF as well as other regional websites. The board chose not to advertise on any additional national sites. A community survey was just sent out regarding the superintendent search and we recommend Grand Haven community members take the time to fill it out.
Board meetings take place monthly, usually on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 pm, with three committee meetings taking place the prior week. Visit the GHAPS BOE webpage for meeting times and locations.