Les Cheneaux Elementary Principal Eric Cardwell (right) and sixth grade teacher Ryan Wilson prepare to embark on a walking trip that took them from Cedarville to Moran this spring, satisfying a reading challenge that they would walk as many steps as pages read by students. The resignations of Les Cheneaux Elementary Principal Eric Cardwell and high school mathematics teacher Zack Sedgwick were accepted Monday night, June 16, at the Les Cheneaux Community Schools Board of Education meeting. Mr. Cardwell is leaving after 15 years to become elementary principal of Sanborn Elementary School in Alpena. Mr. Sedgwick, hired last fall, is returning to Marquette, where he taught previously.

Mr. Cardwell began his career here in 1993, following his graduation from Western Michigan University. He was a fifth grade teacher for seven years before he was named elementary principal in 2000. He returned to the classroom last year, working as a sixth grade teacher in addition to his duties as principal. He was recognized with the Upper Peninsula Principal of the Year award by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association, a 2001 Golden Apple award for high Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test scores, and a 2002 Governor's Conference on Career Development award.

In a lengthy letter presented to the board Monday night, he wrote: "I have been very blessed to work alongside a community that values education-- from the [School Activities Advisory Council], to the construction of the new playground, to the many volunteers that have spent so much time for the betterment of our school."

The district will replace Mr. Cardwell and former high school principal Randy Schaedig with a single, school-wide principal. Superintendent Rod Goehmann said the district has received eight or nine applications since the position was posted last week.

Trustees directed Mr. Goehmann to hire a new mathematics teacher to replace Mr. Sedgwick.

The board hired Great Lakes Roofing of Sault Ste. Marie to replace roof sections for $213,450. The company had the second lowest bid, $3,200 more than the lowest bid submitted by Kaysner Construction of Sault Ste. Marie, but Mr. Goehmann recommended Great Lakes because the company has done all the roof work for the district in recent years and has responded quickly for warranty work. Trustee Marianne Coyne voted against the contract.

"I would have liked to see us save that $3,000," she said.

Carl McIntire abstained, citing a conflict of interest because, as a contractor, he has worked with both companies.

The money for the roof work is coming from the bond issue approved by voters in May. The sale of bonds will raise about $470,000, and $440,000 of that will available for the roof replacement and technology purchases, Mr. Goehmann said, while the rest will pay interest and legal fees. The bonds will be sold June 30, and a 0.5-mill levy against district property taxes for the next five years will pay back the bonds. The board will gather briefly for a special meeting the day of the bond sale.

Trustees accepted the lowest bid of $121,245.57 for 125 new computers and furniture for three computer laboratories. The Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (ISD) solicited the bids. Laptops will cost $812.82 and desktop computers will cost $562.65 through a larger, ISD-wide purchase, which will include other schools' computer orders. The computers will come with three-year warranties. In addition to existing elementary and middle/high school computer laboratories, a new one will be established outside the school library, where the Les Cheneaux preschool room is now. Preschool is slated to move into Room 6 in the elementary hall.

The new computer desks need to be assembled, and volunteers are being sought. They should be delivered within two weeks.

Trustees authorized the purchase of 25 new biology textbooks and 27 third grade social studies books. The biology texts will cost $1,799.25, and are needed to replace 10-year-old books, said science teacher Kevin St. Onge. The current freshman biology books are so old they do not include information on cellular and genetic research, around which much of the Michigan science curriculum is tied.

Michigan's social studies curriculum has changed and is moving Michigan studies from fourth grade to third grade, said elementary teacher Carrie Carr, so new textbooks are needed to teach Michigan geography, history, and economics to the younger students. Third grade is the first year textbooks are used, she added, underscoring the importance of having books third graders can understand. The books and laminated desktop Michigan maps will cost $1,328.94.