SN 5-18-2024

Page 6/The Sun and News, Saturday, May 18, 2024

TK board holds off on

FFA barn purchase

Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
The Thornapple Kellogg
school board is pumping the
brakes on a decision to approve
the purchase of a barn to sup-
port the growing FFA program
at the high school.
The board Monday tabled
the proposed purchase of the
building, which would be
erected on the southwest por-
tion of the school property,
across from the American

Youth Soccer Organization
fields.
“There’s quite a patch of
grass there, and there’s a field
that’s currently farmed that we
own quite a bit of,” TK
Assistant Superintendent
Chris LaHaie said.
The TK district earlier this
year received a $48,363 FFA
grant through the Eaton
Regional Educational Service
Agency toward the purchase
of the barn. TKHS agricultural
science teacher and FFA coor-
dinator Alyssa Hamlin applied
for the grant.
The barn would be a metal
structure with a sidewall of 60
feet, an endwall of 60 feet that
includes a lean-to, and a pre-
pitch height of 18 feet. The
district received two bids for
the delivery of the building,
with a low bid of $49,
from Elite Metal Buildings.
However, there are questions
that haven’t been answered,
such as how power and water
might be supplied to the barn.
LaHaie said there would be
additional “significant costs”
associated with providing those
amenities to the site.
“I’ll be honest, there are a lot
of unknowns. This (request) is
to purchase the building,”
LaHaie told the school board.

“We then have to construct the

building. We have to get a foun-

dation and figure out a lot of

things. But this is the first step of

many in growing this FFA pro-

gram. It’s very exciting.”

While board members are

generally supportive of acquir-

ing the barn, they want to see

some of the details addressed

before committing to the pur-

chase.

“I’m in favor of promoting

the FFA as much as we possi-

bly can, but it seems irrespon-

sible, at least from my per-

spective, to agree to buy this

without having the rest of the

information,” board member

Jeff Dickman said.

If approved, the building

would be delivered over the

summer. But then comes the

questions over the construc-

tion and its costs.

“Unless we get labor that’s

donated, we have to build it,”

LaHaie said.

Between the cost of the

foundation and construction of

the barn, the additional cost of

the project could reach

$100,000 without donated

labor or materials, LaHaie said.

“I want to be supportive of

the program. It was brought by

passion, by passionate people.

You can’t buy passion. I’m

trying to be a steward of this

new program,” LaHaie said.

Board member Tyler

Wenger, who is on a commu-

nity committee that advises

FFA, says he’ll work on

addressing some of the unan-

swered questions.

“I have no question that this

is going to come together,”

Wenger said.

The grant funds for the barn

purchase must be spent by

July of next year, LaHaie said.

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TK hires new administrator,

band director; OKs transfer of

Page principal to high school

Greg Chandler

Staff Writer

Thornapple Kellogg

Schools have hired a new

administrator, approved the

move of another adminis-

trator from an elementary

building to the high school

and hired a new high school

band director.

The district’s school

board Monday approved the

hiring of Heather Robotham

as TK’s first director of sec-

ondary curriculum, the

transfer of Gregg Bruno

from principal at Page

Elementary School to assis-

tant high school principal,

and the hiring of Clair

Jansma as high school band

director.

Robotham comes to TK

from Wyoming Public

Schools, where she has

worked for 23 years, start-

ing as a high school chem-

istry teacher, and then for

the last 10 years as an

instructional coach.

“Heather will work

alongside middle and high

school staff as we imple-

ment the (Professional

Learning Communities)

process and continue to

improve instructional prac-

tices for students,”

Superintendent Craig

McCarthy wrote in an email

to the Sun and News.

Robotham will work

closely with longtime cur-

riculum director Kim

Chausow, who will turn her

focus to instruction in the

district’s elementary build-

ings, McCarthy wrote.

“My approach to curricu-

lum development is ground-

ed in collaborative inquiry,

data-driven decision mak-

ing, and a commitment to

all students growing as

learners,” Robotham wrote

in her application cover let-

ter.

Robotham holds a bache-

lor of science degree from

Michigan State University

and a master’s in education

from Aquinas College.

Bruno came to the TK

district in the fall of 2019 as

principal at Page after seven

years as principal at St.

John Vianney Catholic

School in Wyoming.

“Much like we ask teach-

ers in March if anyone is

interested in a change of

assignment, we asked the

administrative team if any-

one was looking for a

transfer (or) change in

assignment,” McCarthy

wrote in his email. “Mr.

Bruno looked at this as an

opportunity to return to the

secondary level, which is

where he started his

career.”

Bruno formerly taught at

Byron Center High School

before moving into admin-

istration. McCarthy hopes

to have a candidate for a

new Page principal for the

next school board meeting

in June.

Jansma is a 2020 TKHS

graduate who recently fin-

ished her bachelor’s degree

in music education with an

instrumental focus from

Grand Valley State

University. She replaces

Ray Rickert, who will retire

as high school band director

at the end of the current

school year. She served a

student teaching assign-

ment under Rickert and

middle school band director

Mark Hagemann and also

did a teaching apprentice-

ship at Marshall Elementary

School in the Byron Center

district.

“I am excited about the

prospect of contributing to

the music program that I

was in as a student, collab-

orating with fellow stu-

dents and educators, and

inspiring students to reach

their full potential as musi-

cians and individuals,”

Jansma wrote in her cover

letter.

TKHS plans Class of 2024

honors night and graduation

Graduation ceremonies

for the nearly 245 members

of the TKHS Class of 2024

will take place at 7 p.m.

May 23 in the stadium.

Stadium gates open at 6

p.m. with seating being

first-come, first-served.

Handicapped seats are

reserved at the top of the

stands under the press

box. Tickets are not

required.

In the event of rain or

inclement weather, a deci-

sion will be made by 3

p.m. that day whether the

ceremony will need to be

moved inside to the large

gymnasium.

Prior to graduation, the

school will host the annu-

al Honors Night event at 7

p.m. May 21 in the audito-

rium. During this special

night, students receive

scholarships, scholastic

and other awards. Many

will be recognized for

their involvement in ath-

letics, clubs and organiza-

tions.

I’ll be honest, there are a lot of unknowns. This

(request) is to purchase the building. We then

have to construct the building. We have to get a

foundation and figure out a lot of things. But this is

the first step of many in growing this FFA program.

It’s very exciting.”

— Chris LaHaie, assistant superintendent,

Thornapple Kellogg Schools

Clair Jansma replaces Ray Rickert, who will retire as high school band director at the end of the current

school year. Jansma served a student teaching assignment under Rickert and middle school band director

Mark Hagemann and also did a teaching apprenticeship at Marshall Elementary School in the Byron Center

district.