Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Ironwood hires new K-12 principal

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood — The Ironwood Area Schools has a new K-12 principal after the district’s board of education voted to hire Melissa Nigh Monday.

Nigh was a principal in Mellen, Wis., from 2008-13, according to Ironwood superintendent Travis Powell, before joining the faculty at Northland College in Ashland.

“Her main role there was helping train pre-service teachers. So in my former capacity as an elementary principal, I worked closely with Mrs. Nigh in a couple of different capacities,” Powell told the Daily Globe after the meeting. “One, I was an educator when she was a principal in a neighboring district, and I have several colleagues that have worked for her and had many positive things to say about her.

“But then as a principal, I worked closely with her in her role at the university; in that I would place her pre-service teachers in my classrooms and then work really hard to hire them because she really turned out a quality product.”

She’s up to speed on the industry’s recommended best practices and has been in many classrooms, Powell said, which gives her a broad perspective as to what makes a good teacher.

“She’s really interested in coming here to help add an element of instructional leadership that I think teachers are really excited about as well,” Powell said.

Nigh is replacing Denise Woodward as the district’s K-12 principal, who left to take a job as the principal of a new charter school in the Dallas area.

Nigh’s contract will run from July 1 to June 30, according to information presented at the meeting, and have her work 220 days in that timespan.

Powell explained that this means she will work the 180-day school year, as well as 40 days in summer.

He said this results in less paid time-off in the contract, but allows her to take advantage of the breaks built into the school year.

In other action:

—The board hired Dawn Vernetti as a principal’s office secretary and school nurse. The board also accepted the resignations of Kari Jacquart as the girls varsity basketball coach and David Andresen as special education teacher.

—The board approved agreements with the district’s soccer, ski and cross country teams. No action was taken on an agreement with the tennis team until more information could be presented on the negative balance in the team’s account.

—The board approved its meeting schedule through its organizational meeting in January. Meetings will be held Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, Dec. 17 and the organizational meeting Jan. 21.

—The board awarded the district’s bread and milk contracts to Bimbo Bakeries and Twin Cities Dairy, respectively.

—The board approved renewing the district’s membership in the Ironwood chamber of commerce.

—Powell reported he wrote a letter to state officials opposing the potential closure of Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco, discussing the negative impact the closure could have on the area.

—The board agreed to hold a budget workshop and will set a date in the near future.