ROGERS CITY - A former teacher and athletic coach for Posen and Rogers City has filled a vacancy on the Rogers City Area Schools Board of Education.
Howard Madsen was one of two people to submit a letter of interest for a seat on the school board vacated by Armand Loiselle at the end of 2011. He was unanimously elected by board members Monday evening on an interim basis until the next board election in November.
Prior to his appointment, Madsen told the board he believed his background in education and business made him the ideal selection. The 62-year-old Rogers City resident coached girls and boys basketball, as well as baseball. His coaching career for the district lasted over 30 years.
Madsen also taught industrial arts at Posen Consolidated Schools for 16 years, and retired in June 2011. He cited his experience in different roles within two different districts as another asset.
"I'm sympathetic to teachers, I'm sympathetic to administrators, I'm sympathetic to board members," he said.
He also worked as a contractor for 15 years, giving him insight in handling finances, he said.
"Trying to stay in the black, I know that's the biggest challenge" many school districts face, he said.
He said he has spent his adult life in a leadership position, and would be comfortable making decisions in another one.
Ultimately, he wanted to join as a way to continue serving students and the public education system, he said.
"Education's been good to me," he said. "I need to give back."
Board President Bryan Hall said he was grateful that "two applicants stepped up for the district when it was in need."
In other business:
- board members discussed a two-year extension to term lengths as a way to reduce turnover. Superintendent Kathleen Makowski told the board that because of recent changes in state school board election laws, board members could be replaced "three and four at a time."
Hall said a possible drawback could be more board members resigning before their terms end due to the extended commitment.
"On the other hand, it's probably in the best interest of the district not to change large proportions, potentially, of the board at one time," Hall said. "I know when I came on the board, the first year was like a blur trying to learn all the acronyms and get up to speed on everything."
- the district will hire a forestry management consultant to create a plan for its 160-acre wooded parcel in Belknap Township. Board members unanimously approved a contract for Daniel LaLonde of North Country Land and Timber to select some of the trees on the land and seek bids to have them cut down and sold. Principal Dave O'Bryant said he and LaLonde have walked through the property, and LaLonde has given a rough estimate of how much the district could make from selling the timber.
The district set several conditions for how the cutting would take place, and O'Bryant said one of them was that a district member would inspect the property weekly to see that everything was going as planned.
Jordan Travis can be reached via email at jtravis@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.