Education
| Blahunka hired as new Meridian High School principal |
| Published Tuesday, February 23, 2010 12:32 pm |
Meridian High School will have a new principal for the 2010-11 school year.
The Meridian school board on Monday
unanimously approved the hiring of John Blahunka, currently the director of
administrative services for Midland Public Schools.
Dennis Stine, who is in his 12th year as principal at Meridian High School,
last month announced that he would retire at the end of the school
year.
"I'm very appreciative of his dedicated service," Doug Fillmore, Meridian superintendent, said of Stine. "He has been an outstanding leader, especially in terms of his attendance at school events. We wish him all the best."
Fillmore said he appreciated that Stine announced his retirement early enough in the year that the district was able to be proactive in finding a replacement.
Though Blahunka's salary has not been set, Fillmore said he will be paid about $80,000 per year, not including benefits.
Fillmore said he's not sure if Blahunka will retire from the Midland district and work as a contracted employee for the Meridian district. That would depend on pension reform plans Gov. Jennifer Granholm is proposing for state retirees, Fillmore said.
Some school retirees collect a pension while working as contracted employees, sometimes for the same district they retired from.
"We haven't sorted through all that yet," Fillmore said.
Granholm has proposed a pension boost of $1,000 to $2,000 per year for employees with at least 30 years experience who retire between July and September. The plan reduces spending by cutting some benefits for retirees who retire after October, and by requiring employees to contribute more to their pension plans.
Statewide there are about 39,000 school employees eligible for the pension boost.
Stine started his career in education in 1973 as a math teacher at Standish-Sterling Central High School. He has also been an assistant principal at the Standish High School and Chippewa Hills High School in Remus.
He has been with the Meridian district since 1998.
Blahunka has been with the Midland district since 1977, when he started as a teacher at Leiphart High School, an alternative education program. He has been assistant principal at Midland High School, assistant principal at Central Intermediate School and principal at Carpenter Elementary.
Since 2004, Blahunka has been the lead principal for the Midland district, supervising 17 elementary and secondary principals. Since 2005, he also has been director of administrative services, overseeing the district's special services division.
"I'm very appreciative of his dedicated service," Doug Fillmore, Meridian superintendent, said of Stine. "He has been an outstanding leader, especially in terms of his attendance at school events. We wish him all the best."
Fillmore said he appreciated that Stine announced his retirement early enough in the year that the district was able to be proactive in finding a replacement.
Though Blahunka's salary has not been set, Fillmore said he will be paid about $80,000 per year, not including benefits.
Fillmore said he's not sure if Blahunka will retire from the Midland district and work as a contracted employee for the Meridian district. That would depend on pension reform plans Gov. Jennifer Granholm is proposing for state retirees, Fillmore said.
Some school retirees collect a pension while working as contracted employees, sometimes for the same district they retired from.
"We haven't sorted through all that yet," Fillmore said.
Granholm has proposed a pension boost of $1,000 to $2,000 per year for employees with at least 30 years experience who retire between July and September. The plan reduces spending by cutting some benefits for retirees who retire after October, and by requiring employees to contribute more to their pension plans.
Statewide there are about 39,000 school employees eligible for the pension boost.
Stine started his career in education in 1973 as a math teacher at Standish-Sterling Central High School. He has also been an assistant principal at the Standish High School and Chippewa Hills High School in Remus.
He has been with the Meridian district since 1998.
Blahunka has been with the Midland district since 1977, when he started as a teacher at Leiphart High School, an alternative education program. He has been assistant principal at Midland High School, assistant principal at Central Intermediate School and principal at Carpenter Elementary.
Since 2004, Blahunka has been the lead principal for the Midland district, supervising 17 elementary and secondary principals. Since 2005, he also has been director of administrative services, overseeing the district's special services division.
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