Kingsley selects Forest Area superintendent for lead district

Aug. 26—KINGSLEY — Kingsley Area Schools trustees want Josh Rothwell as their new district superintendent.

After interviews Friday with Rothwell and runner-up Bill Chilman, trustees voted unanimously in favor of entering into negotiations with the “local” option — as Rothwell was sometimes referred to. Rothwell is from Kingsley and began his career in the district. He is currently superintendent of Forest Area Community Schools.

Those community ties remained a compelling advantage, trustees said in their discussions of the candidates. At some points in the process, references were made to the tumultuous year-and-a-half the district has seen. The district has had two superintendents already in that time — if negotiations are successful, Rothwell will be the third.

“As a district, we’ve come a long way this year,” said Board President Tony Temple. “I really think Josh is the one that could easily fit into that role, pick up running, and keep us going in the direction we’re going.”

At an earlier point in the meeting, Temple also said the current board was “the most effective board” he’d been a part of in all his years as a Board of Education member — and, indeed, there was very little disagreement in the group’s talks Friday.

A recurring point of emphasis throughout both interviews, and the deliberations that followed, were on the relationship between the district and people who live within it. It’s something that both candidates spoke on: Chilman pointed towards his loyalty and dedication to every location where he’s worked so far, and said that when he “sign(s) on the dotted line to be a Kingsley Stag, you’ve got me as a Kingsley Stag.”

Rothwell lamented the apparent disconnect between Kingsley, the village, and Kingsley the district. People don’t seem to feel a connection to the schools anymore, and the next superintendent will have to work hard to bring the community back.

“And honestly, that’s my wheelhouse,” he said.

Former Superintendent Keith Smith resigned in September 2022 amid intense scrutiny from the public — some of which centered on criticism with his leadership and treatment of teachers.

Smith took a full, $700,000 buyout of the remaining 5-year rolling contract that was offered to him by the school board.

Current Superintendent Brad Reyburn replaced him this year, but opted to leave after failing to find housing in the area. He will be starting a job with Fremont Public Schools, which is closer to his home.

Trustee Ian McKinley said the feedback he received about Rothwell has been overwhelmingly positive. Even though he could see the merits of both candidates, he had to give weight to those opinions, because the trustees were there to represent the community, he said.

On the other hand, Rothwell’s strengths on that front also could set him up for struggles, many of the trustees said.

Trustee Tina Schelich said that one of the references she spoke to from Forest Area Community Schools raised concerns about how the Kingsley community would treat Rothwell.

Addressing that concern, Rothwell said he probably wouldn’t have gone through the stress of the recruitment process if he didn’t think it was going to be a welcoming environment.

Still, others pointed to the difficult waters that someone like Rothwell would inevitably have to navigate, having such a personal stake in the community already.

“We’re going to have to be very supportive of him in that role,” said Vice President Vivien Snyder.

Rothwell’s wife is currently a teacher at Kingsley Elementary, and his two children are students there. Both Rothwell and the board stated that policies were in place to prevent any conflicts of interest from arising from those circumstances.

Beyond that, a potential weakness for both of the candidates was the fact that they both were coming from much smaller districts. Chilman said he was applying to the position specifically because he was ready for a new challenge, and Rothwell acknowledged that there would be a learning curve.

“I’m not naive to think that coming in here, everything’s going to be perfect,” he said. “There’s going to be challenges.”

Still, Rothwell said — in the interviews and in statements prior to Friday — said to come back to the district would be like coming home.

“I think he’s got the right … demeanor, and the right delivery for what this district needs,” said Trustee Max Anderson. “We came from the polar opposite of that.”

Report for America corps member and data journalist William T. Perkins’ reporting is made possible by a partnership between the Record-Eagle and Report for America, a journalism service project founded by the nonprofit Ground Truth Project. Generous community support helps fund a local share of the Record-Eagle/RFA partnership. To support RFA reporters in Traverse City, go to www.record-eagle.com/rfa.