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New Buffalo school board chooses Dr. Michael Lindley as interim superintendent
from August 25, 2022
SCHOLASTICS
New Buffalo school board chooses Dr. Michael Lindley as interim superintendent
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BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
Members of the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education approved hiring Dr. Michael Lindley, a previous superintendent of the school district for 18 years, as interim superintendent at a special session meeting Monday, Aug. 22.
Board members approved his hiring in a 4-2 vote (Heather Black was absent), with Frank Magro and Chuck Heit voting “nay.”
At their regular meeting after the special session, board members approved a salary and contract for Lindley at $115,000 for 200 days plus mileage and travel allowance up to $2,000 a month and that he’ll also be paid for conferences to represent the district. There will also be a 10-day right of cancellation on either the part of the district or of the interim superintendent.
Lindley was chosen from a pool of two other candidates
John Jarpe, who retired out of Brandywine a few years ago and served as interim superintendent at Brandywine and Constantine and Vickie Markavitch, who was superintendent at Oakland Schools, PennHarris-Madison School Corporation in Indiana, Niles Township High School District outside of Chicago and Skokie School District.
From 1991 to 2008, Lindley served as superintendent of New Buffalo Area Schools, during which he said he led three successful bond campaigns. This included building a new middle/ high school, adding onto the middle/high school, finishing the track and adding features to it, selling the old school property and purchasing the property across from the middle/ high school, which now consists of a future STEAM building, tennis courts, new pickleball courts and the transportation garage.
For 10 months, he served as interim superintendent in Bridgman, where he led two successful financial campaigns that enabled the district to add furniture and a construction and recreational millage.
From 2013-2015, he served as interim superintendent in Niles, where he led a successful bond campaign to remodel the schools and add onto some buildings as well as close others, which helped the financially strapped district by reducing the administration and putting more teachers in the same grade levels in the buildings, which he felt “led to better collaboration.”
He was on the board of directors for Lake Michigan College for 10 years, where served as chair, vice chair and treasurer and on Berrien RESA’s board for almost three years, where he served as president.
Lindley said the board discussed the difficulty of switching from an interim superintendent to a new one.
“I think what I bring to table is some institutional memory to New Buffalo schools, I believe I’ve earned the trust of the staff and the community, and I believe the transition would be much easier in that there are two transitions,” he said.
Lindley said he’s “provided leadership and mentorship to over 80 administrators.”
Another positive trait that Lindley feels he can bring to the position is his ability to bring the “right people to the table to make the right decisions” as well having the “courage to hold people accountable to do their job that we employ them to do.”
After serving as interim for Bridgman and Niles, he said he was asked to continue as a consultant and to mentor the new superintendent.
“After a very, very short period of time, they said, ‘You don’t act like an interim, we’re dropping that title - you’re our superintendent,’” he said.
When he first came to New Buffalo, he was “39 years old, full of knowledge, wrapping up a doctorate couple years before that but lacking in experience.”
Trustee Tricia said,“Now I’m slightly older, full of experience and much wiser – my people skills have not diminished, my problem-solving skills have not diminished, my leadership skills have not diminished and my passion and love for this school district has only grown over the years.”
Newton said she worked with Lindley as a union leader and teacher for multiple years.
“What he says is what he does - the decisions that he makes are consistent no matter who the audience, he will have uncomfortable conversations with folks if it’s for the betterment of students – Dr. Lindley hold employees accountable and I’m confident he will move us forward with his leadership,” she said.
Board members approved Melissa Lijewski as the nominee for the Berrien Regional Education
Board president Lisa Werner with interim Superintendent Dr. Mike Lindley Service Agency Parent Advisory Group for 20222023 (expiration date of Aug. 31, 2023).
The employment of Melissa Ashdown in the position of base aide for the 2022-2023 school year was approved.
Board members approved Scholl Dairy to supply milk products for 2022-2023.
Board members authorized Mary Cooper to submit a $7,000-$8,000 Pokagon Fund grant application, for middle school students, in support of an author visit by Kathrine Arden.
The employment of Conner Lijewski as middle school football coach for 2022-2023 was approved.
Board members approved employing the following substitute kitchen workers: Carla Cybulski as needed; Shana Price scheduled at the high school for the first eight Fridays and as needed and Katrina Turensek scheduled Monday through Thursday at the high school for the first eight weeks and then as needed.
At a special session board meeting held Aug. 10, board members also approved employing Rebecca Marfia in the
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