SAUGATUCK — The Saugatuck Public Schools Board of Education appointed Amanda Frank to fill a vacancy on the board Monday, Nov. 20.
Four candidates were interviewed for the position Monday, including Frank, Karen Sherwood, Catherine Dritsas and James Clark.
Frank’s appointment follows the resignation of Nathan Lowery, who served on the board since 2015. He resigned Oct. 29 after moving out of the district.
Frank will serve the remainder of Lowery’s elected term, which expires in December 2024. She indicated during her interview Monday that she plans to run for re-election next November.
Frank’s work experience includes time as a senior attorney and a law clerk in the Michigan Supreme Court and Michigan Court of Appeals.
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During her interview, she said communication and collaboration are the most important skills for students to have when they graduate high school.
“No matter whether they’re going into the workforce, going into trade school or college, those are the key things we all need to function in society,” Frank said.
She said the biggest opportunity for the district is increasing student population, but doing so in a way that maintains the “close-knit” culture at SPS.
Following interviews, board members were asked to list their top two candidates to narrow discussions. Board members applauded all four candidates, but chose Frank and Sherwood, an educator who retired as deputy superintendent of Holland Public Schools in 2022.
A motion to appoint Frank passed in a 4-2 vote, with Laura Zangara, Bernie Merkle, Nicole Lewis and Marcy Weston voting yes and Frank Marro III and Eric Birkholz voting no, having expressed support for Sherwood prior to the vote.
Merkle said he appreciates that Frank has two children attending SPS — with a third enrolling soon, Frank said in her comments to the board — which he said brings “longevity” to a board commitment.
Lewis said she appreciated Frank’s focus on communication and collaboration.
“I found her comments to hit the right note for me when it comes to the work that this board is looking to accomplish now that we are through COVID, through a bond, through changing mascots,” she said.
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Birkholz cited Sherwood’s experience working closely with a school board, saying she could “hit the ground running fairly well.” Marro III said the decision was “pretty much a coin flip” but gave a slight edge to Sherwood.
Board members encouraged each applicant to run during the November 2024 election. Four seats will be up for grabs, with Zangara, Merkle, Marro III and Frank all seeing their terms expire. Zangara said during Monday’s meeting that she will not seek re-election next year.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
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