News Photo by Julie Goldberg Posen Consolidated Schools Superintendent Michelle Wesner, left, talks with first-grader Gavin Ewing last week at the school.

POSEN — Posen Consolidated Schools is a small district with just over 200 students, so that requires Superintendent Michelle Wesner to wear many hats.

Wesner, who is entering her fourth school year as superintendent, is also the principal and transportation director and serves in different supervisor positions throughout the district.

“We combined our superintendent and principal positions years ago and the principal’s position already had many of those other positions, so, if you’re looking for supervisor for support staff or paraprofessionals, that would also be me,” Wesner said.

Wesner said that, in northern Michigan, districts have to combine positions for cost savings and Posen is one of those schools. She said it comes natural to her work in all those positions.

“You can affect change a lot sooner in a smaller district, I believe, and you need to make sure you have solid constituents that you’re working with and that you can converse with so that you make good, solid decisions for the district,” Wesner said. “Even though I’m responsible for all of it, I don’t make all those decisions. We work as a team to make those decisions.”

Posen Elementary School teacher Hollie Kuchnicki said Wesner is a wonderful leader who promotes teamwork. She said that’s important in a small district.

“We all like the team approach and collaborating with her,” Kuchnicki said. “She does a lot and she makes time for staff and students.”

Kuchnicki said Wesner goes into classrooms and talks with students about anything.

“Her presence is noticed with the students,” Kuchnicki said. “They know that they’re important to her.”

Some of Wesner’s goals for the 2019-20 school year are continuing what the district has been doing the past few years since she’s been there: updating technology as it keeps changing, improving student test scores, and growing community involvement.

Being active in Posen is the best thing about being the superintendent there, Wesner said, because she has become invested in the district and community.

“The best thing about being here is being able to have that connection,” she said.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.