Goehmann Leaves School Job

Rod Goehmann is retiring as superintendent of Les Cheneaux Community Schools in Cedarville and DeTour Area Schools in DeTour at the end of August. He announced his pending retirements at board of education meetings Tuesday, July 7, in Cedarville, and Monday, July 13, in DeTour.

The boards of education in the two districts will now decide how best to replace their superintendent.

Under a joint agreement between the two districts, Mr. Goehmann has split his time between Les Cheneaux and DeTour as a part-time superintendent since 2006. He was originally hired by the Les Cheneaux district as full-time superintendent in 2001.

"I'll miss the relationships that I've had with other superintendents in the [intermediate school district], and the teaching staffs and support staffs in both districts. They're a lot of good people to work with," he said. "We've had our budget woes and, unfortunately, that's going to continue."

The declining student enrollment in both districts, which eventually led to a $99,000 deficit in Les Cheneaux's 2008/09 school year budget, was not a major factor in his decision to retire; he said he was thiking about retirement before the budget problems started. The problematic budget did play a role in his decision, but it was "not the straw that broke the camel's back," he said.

Mr. Goehmann leaves behind him a 37-year career in education in two states. He began as a sixth grade teacher in Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1972, after earning his teaching degree from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.

Originally from northwest Detroit, Mr. Goehmann returned to Michigan a year later to teach third and fourth grade at a Utica Lutheran school. He later taught at Lutheran middle schools in Rogers City and Hemlock, where he eventually became principal.

During the early 1990s, he attended Central Michigan University to earn his master's degree in school administration in 1991 and a specialist in education degree in 1993. Soon after, Mr. Goehmann took his first superintendent job at central Upper Peninsula district Carney-Nadeau Public Schools in Carney in 1994. He presided over that district for seven years before accepting the superintendent position in Cedarville.

He said he has enjoyed his time in Les Cheneaux and the many positive things that have happened at the school during his tenure.

"I can't take credit for it, but some of the extracurricular things, like our band going to Australia and China and our boys basketball team winning the state championship" are some of his favorite memories from the last eight years. "I can't personally take credit for any of that, but it happened on my watch."

He is not sure of his retirement plans, but he does plan to assist both boards in selecting interim superintendents by September 1. The two boards will have to decide if they will hire one person as part-time superintendent for both districts or if they will each hire one full-time person.

"It's been a rewarding experience," he said. "I will help in any way I can during July and August as the board goes through this administrative transition."

Once retired, he said, it is likely he will leave the Les Cheneaux area, but will remain in Michigan.

Board of education reappointments

At a special board of education organizational meeting Tuesday, July 7, the Les Cheneaux Community Schools Board of Education reappointed Kate Ter Haar as president of the board, Dave Murray as vice president, Marcia Perkins as secretary, and Marianne Coyne as treasurer. The positions are one-year terms voted on each year.

Board members also voted to waive their $20 per meeting payment to help save the district money, saving the district $2,300 in the year. The board meets on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the school library.

In DeTour, the school board meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m.