By Tom Gilchrist
Staff Writer
MAYVILLE — Mayville Community Schools leaders are set to interview six finalists this month for the position of superintendent/high school principal/middle school principal.
Interviews take place April 21, 22 and 23 — starting at 6:30 p.m. each night — at the Mayville Middle School media center.
Finalists set for April 21 interviews include Barry Markwart, Brown City Community Schools middle school/high school principal, at 6:30 p.m., and Shad Fish, Houghton Lake Community Schools Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant Director, at 8 p.m.
The April 22 interviews feature Stephen Stewart, assistant principal at De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, at 6:30 p.m., and James Konrad, principal of Robichaud High School in Westwood Community Schools in Dearborn Heights, at 8 p.m.
Interviews set for April 23 include Timm Kelly, principal of Linden Charter Academy, at 6:30 p.m., and Christopher Arrington, School Improvement Consultant for Ingham Intermediate School District, at 8 p.m.
Currently, Christopher Kidd is Mayville’s high school/middle school principal, though board members have decided to merge that position with the superintendent job.
“This is a business decision, you bet it is,” said Mayville Superintendent Richard Dunham, who estimates the move will save the school district $45,000 to $50,000 in the first year.
Kidd “has one year left on his contract, so he can either be reassigned or he can look for another job,” Dunham said.
Dunham began working as Mayville superintendent July 1, 2014 and his contract expires at the end of June. He said board members wanted him to evaluate whether one person could fill the roles of superintendent, high school principal and middle school principal.
“When the board hired me they wanted me to take a critical eye on the position and to give them some feedback on whether I thought the job could be handled by one person,” Dunham said.
Dunham added that after evaluating the situation, “I thought that with the right person, it could be done.”
Dunham formerly directed the Michigan Association of School Boards executive search services department, and as Mayville superintendent he conducted the search for the newly-merged Mayville position, which drew 23 applicants.
“I was extremely happy with (that many) applicants,” said Dunham, adding he has urged Mayville board members to make sure they have the right person before hiring someone.
“That’s been my advice: Never settle,” Dunham said. “The position’s too important, the kids are too important, to just say ‘We’ll just throw somebody in there.’ ”