Ferndale Superintendent Blake Prewitt Accepted for Lakeview Position
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 23, 2017)
Ferndale, MI – Ferndale School Superintendent Blake Prewitt has been accepted for the position of Superintendent of Lakeview Schools. According to the Battle Creek Enquirer, discussion lasted over six hours, with the vote to hire Prewitt being made just after midnight this morning.
“Current Superintendent Dave Peterson is retiring at the end of the school year after six years with the district. Thirty-two candidates applied for his position, which should pay between $140,000 and $160,000 per year,” states the report.
When his application for the position became public, both Prewitt and Ferndale School Board President Jennifer LaTosch shared assurances with the public.
There are succession plans in place should Prewitt take employment elsewhere. In an interview at the time of Prewitt’s interview with Lakeview, LaTosch said “Upon receiving notice of Mr. Prewitt’s interview, Vice President Jackie Hart began to update information on superintendent search firms,” Latosch said. “The Governance Committee and full Board will begin working on that information in the event of the superintendent’s resignation. We want to assure everyone that we will have solid leadership continuity and that our top priority will continue to be the best interests of our students in Ferndale Schools.”
At that time when asked why he was looking elsewhere, Prewitt said My children will be out of the house next year. Becoming empty nesters, my wife Tonya and I began considering making a move personally and professionally. In researching Lakeview Schools I found a district that would be a good fit for my skills and abilities. We feel that the position in Lakeview would be a great next step in our lives. That being said, as I pursue this new challenge, I remain committed to doing the best job I can for the students of the Ferndale community, they deserve nothing less.”
Prewitt became Superintendent of Ferndale in 2014 as part of wave of new leadership both on the Board and the Administration following the scandalous departure of Gary Meier and administrators who were siphoning district resources to start their own charter school consulting company.
In the past two and a half years, Ferndale Schools got new administrators, won a settlement against the former Superintendent, and underwent a restructuring that combined the elementary school aged students, consolidated buildings and brought revenue to the district through the sale of properties.
UPDATE: Ferndale School Board President Jen LaTosch issued the following statement….
Ferndale Schools Family,
The Ferndale Schools Board of Education was informed late last night that our Superintendent, Blake Prewitt, has accepted the Superintendency for the Lakeview School District in Battle Creek.
In a letter to the staff of Ferndale Schools, Mr. Prewitt wrote, “It is with mixed emotions that I accepted the offer. I love the Ferndale community and people I work with but my wife and I are excited to move forward with the next stage of our life. This was an opportunity that I could not pass up. The district is on a great path forward, due to all the hard work of all of you, and this will continue seamlessly. Please know that I am 100% committed to do what is best for our Ferndale students and do what is best for the community.”
Mr. Prewitt’s departure is a scenario the Board has been preparing for since he informed us of his candidacy in Lakeview last month. We have been active behind the scenes in reaching out to search firms who specialize in identifying the best candidates for high-level educational positions. Our top priority is to do everything within our power to ensure we identify and select the leader our students deserve. As we begin this search in earnest, the Board of Education will meet at a Special Meeting this coming Monday, March 27th at 7pm in the Ferndale High School Media Center to discuss the path forward and timeline for selecting a new Superintendent.
It is also important to note that our Deputy Superintendent, Tom Shelton, who was also a candidate for a Superintendency in Williamston, Michigan, will be staying with Ferndale Schools. He and Dina Rocheleau, our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, will continue the good works that the Ferndale Schools family began 3 years ago, and provide continuity into the future. As I said in the State of the District Address earlier this month, the amazing progress in our schools over the past few years was the result of the work of an incredible team of administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and community members. The collective effort of the community brought out the best in the district and created an outstanding educational foundation that we will continue to build upon as we move forward in our never ending effort to make Ferndale the best learning environment for all students.