Plainwell school board member Thom Berlin has announced his resignation from the board.
Berlin, speaking at the Monday, April 17, regular board meeting, resigned.
“I have to leave the board because I’m moving into another district to live,” he said.
Michigan law requires school board members to reside with the district they represent.
Berlin said he was sorry to go.
“I came here 27 years ago and I call myself a townie now,” he said. “My kids were two and a half and four when I arrived and we moved here then purely for the schools.”
He and his wife rehabbed a 100 plus year old home during that time, but now intended to downsize their lives to a smaller place. He and his wife are both technically retired, but both still working part time.
They hadn’t planned to leave Plainwell, but that seemed the best option.
“We looked for something like that here, but we couldn’t anything and then we found this place,” Berlin said.
He said his emotions were mixed.
“I’m excited about the Community Center and I’m also relieved because I won’t be around if we end up trying for a bond,” Berlin said.
Board president Amy Blades said she was sorry to see Berlin go.
“I accept your resignation, but not happily,” Blades said.
Berlin said, “We feel a little bit like we’re going through a divorce with the town.”
She said the board should replace Berlin in his position as board secretary because of the upcoming graduation.
Board secretary Anne McKinney said the high school was checking on whether it was okay that Berlin had signed all the diploma’s to be awarded next month at the ceremony.
Board members unanimously approved appointing board member Kim Shafer secretary.
They are seeking a replacement for Berlin—who was elected to a full four-year term that began in January—who will serve on the board until the next school election in Nov. 2018.
Letters of interest should be in before May 1 to Superintendent Matt Montagne and the board will interview candidates at a public meeting in May. (See page 2 for the district’s legal notice.)
In other business:
• Board members voted unanimously to spend $139, 378 with the W. Soule Company to replace the boiler system at Cooper Elementary School.
Operations director Greg Smith said the school’s current four-boiler set up would be replaced by a much more efficient and effective two boilder system.
The district had done several boiler projects recently, Smith said, and Soule and Mall City Mechanical seemed to be flippng back and forth with putting in the low bid.
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