MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — The Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System is hiring a consultant to lead the public school academy board of education to address curriculum and staffing issues in the district.
Over the last few weeks, parents and teachers have reported to 13 ON YOUR SIDE that there are not enough instructors in the high school.
The public school academy board, or the PSA board, has until the 17th to issue a corrective action plan to address multiple concerns. On Wednesday night, they decided to bring on an advisory consultant to help get them there.
At the special board meeting, the PSA board started with a disagreement amongst themselves while deciding between hiring legal counsel or addressing other agenda items. Other items on the agenda included finalizing the job posting in their search for a superintendent and selecting an interim superintendent.
The board voted to approve the agenda and then considered two proposals from attorneys.
They chose Delaporte Law, based in Mason, Michigan, to represent the district.
The PSA board and their new attorney then went into a closed session for over an hour during the meeting to discuss next steps in their search for a superintendent and drafting the corrective action plan.
After the closed session, the PSA board did not choose an interim superintendent, but rather voted to hire an advisory consultant.
Dr. Don Witherspoon is a familiar face to the district. He was brought on as an emergency manager when the district went from public to charter about ten years ago.
After the meeting, Dr. Witherspoon told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that while the specific details of his new role still need to be discussed, he imagines he will help evaluate the district's educational system, finances and community relationship.
James Burton, a Muskegon Heights High School alumni, says he's glad to see this turnaround from the PSA board.
"It was mostly pretty quiet this evening, business was conducted in a normal manner," he says. "Overall I think the feeling is, people leaving here feel the change they've been asking for is gonna happen now, so this is a new day for Muskegon Heights."
New Paradigm for Education, the Detroit-based charter school management firm who started running the district in August, was not present at Wednesday night's meeting.
The PSA board will next meet during a work session next Monday. The next school board meeting is on Oct. 17.
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