Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
DEANA JANCZAK, left, and Todd Johnson, center, both co-chairs of an advisory committee for Bessemer, advise Monday the Bessemer Area School Board of Trustees to not consolidate with the Ironwood Area School District. From left are: Janczak, Johnson and Kim Wright, trustee.
By TOM STANKARD
Bessemer — Following the recommendation of an advisory committee, the Bessemer Area School Board of Trustees voted Monday to reject consolidation with the Ironwood Area School District.
Standing in front of a large crowd, Todd Johnson, the committee’s co-chair, said Bessemer’s school district doesn’t need to consolidate “at this time.”
On Jan. 28, Ironwood Superintendent Tim Kolesar sent a letter to Bessemer proposing representatives from both districts meet to discuss the feasibility of consolidating.
During Monday’s meeting, Johnson said the school district is strong and it has several great teachers and staff at both schools — A.D. Johnston School and Washington Elementary School.
He said the community will benefit from keeping its school.
In agreement, the board unanimously voted against consolidating with Ironwood.
The committee was formed in January to explore what direction Bessemer’s schools should take next.
Moving forward, Johnson and co-chair Deanna Janczak recommended the district seek to close Washington Elementary and move its student, teachers and staff to A.D. Johnston — possibly by fall of 2017.
Also on the agenda, the board discussed Superintendent Dave Radovich’s annual evaluation.
Overall, Radovich received a 3.74 rating from the school board. Trustee Al Gaiss said a five is outstanding, a four exceeds expectations, a three meets expectations, a two is below expectations and a one is unsatisfactory.
A satisfactory rating to “keep a superintendent” is a score of three, Gaiss said.
“No one would ever get a five rating,” he said. “We want the superintendent improving every year.”
Radovich’s highest rating was a four for school board relations. Gaiss said the superintendent’s lowest mark was a 3.42 for managing work system and operations.
Other categories included managing financial resources, policy execution of contracts, community relations, professional conduct, managing information, professional skills and status and judgment.
In other action, the board:
— Accepted a bid from the Regional Educational Media Center Association of Michigan for a two-year contract to deliver Internet for the district.
