The Glen Lake Board of Education announced Superintendent Jason Misner has earned an “effective” evaluation for his outstanding leadership at Glen Lake Community for the 2024-2025 school year, according to a review process Dec. 18.
“His dedication to excellence and the success of our students, staff, and community is truly commendable. We look forward to continued growth and achievements under his guidance,” Glen Lake Board of Education President Cory McNitt said.
“Personally, my evaluation is a reflection of our staff. We have a phenomenal staff that I’m just here to work for and support. The Board of Education is functioning at a very high level and it’s a great place to be,” Glen Lake Superintendent Jason Misner said.
Misner was hired in 2022 and is in his third year at the helm. He left Parchment School District (Kalamazoo County) for the Laker position.
Parchment and Glen Lake are similar sized districts in financial terms with healthy yearly budgets between $15 and $17 million. The difference comes in population as Parchment oversees one high school, a middle school, three elementary schools, an innovation center and an early learning center with over 1,500 students compared to Glen Lake’s roughly 700.
“It’s been a great fit for our family both professionally and personally,” Misner said. “To me it truly means that our community was willing to give honest feedback ... Developing that trust of people was reflected in that evaluation, we listened and I think that’s extremely important.”
Misner was rated effective in 2022-23 and in 2023-24. This is his third straight receiving the highest honor.
After a carousel of superintendents made their way through Glen Lake from 20182022, Misner has steadied the ship through the back-end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The review was happening the same time as a wrestling meet and basketball game Wednesday.
“I think this is a special place because we’re so focused on kids. Last night, just seeing how busy it was, we’re busy all of the time because there’s so many opportunities for kids here,” Misner said.
One of Misner’s big accomplishments in two years at the helm is passing a bond this November, after failing first in 2024. The Laker community recently passed an $8.175 million bond proposal. The maximum 20-year bond term includes a 0.48 millage increase, set to last until 2043.
In July, Glen Lake announced plans for an $8.1 million bond proposal after a $35 million proposal failed in the spring.
With the bond’s approval, Glen Lake can now begin improvements to address aging mechanical systems, enhance indoor air quality, and create better learning environments.
This bond supports the district’s 10-year, $20 million capital spending plan, continuing efforts that have been underway for the past five years.
