Employees at Northport Public School are eligible for a retention stipend of no more than $3,000 after the district’s Board of Education (BOE) unanimously approved of the item at its regular meeting Monday.
Superintendent Neil Wetherbee said the letter of agreement offering the stipend was made possible after the district received its audit back this year and was made aware of extra, unexpected funds. Northport previously offered similar stipends during the COVID-19 pandemic, but these funds would be used to help school employees with the current cost of living. In addition, Wetherbee said that the district has been fully staffed all yearround.
“And knowing what the cost of living is for everyone, the board is trying to take some of that money that we didn’t have budgeted and help offset some of the costs that our employees are facing right now,” Wetherbee said. “... The fact that the board ended up offering a stipend that was three times what I proposed speaks to how much the board appreciates the hard work of the staff and values keeping good people and how dedicated they are to making sure that our students have a successful school experience.”
All employees would receive their stipends in January of 2025, Wetherbee said.
The BOE also discussed what comes next after its vice-president, Barbara Conley, announced that she will need to resign following her win in the Nov. 5 general election to serve as the newest Leelanau Township supervisor. The term of office for all elected officials is four years, the Michigan Townships Association states, and will commence at noon on Nov. 20.
Conley’s BOE term was originally set to expire in 2026. Wetherbee said the BOE will have 30 days to appoint another member of the public to the vacant seat following the date of Conley’s official resignation.
“My guess is that they (the BOE) will take anyone who is interested in the position to submit a letter of interest and a resume probably to me,” he said. “Then it will go to the board in December…” Wetherbee said while it is unfortunate they will be losing Conley on the board, the overall community will benefit from her new role as township supervisor. Her resignation from the board is effective Nov. 20, which puts the district’s December board meeting within the 30-day window they have to fill the position. Conley will be serving alongside another Northport school staffer, Elizabeth Schwind, who was also elected to the board as a trustee in the general election.
“I think this is just a great example of how, in a small town, there is only so many people who are interested in taking on public service roles, and its unfortunate that the village and school board are going to lose her (Conley), but I think that she’s going to be a great addition to the township board,” he said. “She’ll actually be working with the (Northport) secretary who will be on the township board also, so I think it’s going to be a loss for the school, but it will be great for the community.”
Wetherbee said anyone interested in being on the school board has to live within the school district and then needs to send him a resume and letter of interest. Those interested in the role will also need to attend the BOE December meeting, where the board will review applicants’ paperwork and make a decision on who will fill the last two years of Conley’s term.
In other business, the board:
• Approved the resignation of Olivia Messer, mental health specialist.
• Approved the hiring of Grace Keilty, as mental health specialist.
• Approved the appointment of TaShena Sams as the Northport special education parent advisory committee representative.
