7 retiring Adrian Public Schools staff members recognized by board of education

ADRIAN — With another school year concluding, school district employees who are set to retire at the end of the year were publicly recognized for their years of service by the Adrian Public Schools Board of Education. 

Seven retiring Adrian schools staff members, including one educator, three Head Start employees, one maintenance employee, one media specialist and one principal, were honored by the board during its May 22 meeting at Springbrook Middle School. 

Family members, friends and colleagues of the retirees were invited to attend the recognition ceremony where gifts from APS were presented to each of the staff members. 

Those who were recognized as retiring from the district at the meeting include: 

• Ivy Hutchinson, 16 years, Head Start. 
• Jill Roberts, 19 years, teacher at Lincoln Elementary School. 
• Nancy Roback, 24 years, Head Start. 
• Peggy Sloan, 25 years, Head Start. 
• Kris Griewahn, 25.75 years, maintenance throughout the district. 
• Ann VanStavern, 28 years, media specialist at Lincoln Elementary School. 
• Jeff Petterson, 31.5 years, principal at Alexander Elementary School. 

Collectively, the retiring individuals have served Adrian students, families and the community for 169.25 years, Adrian Superintendent Nate Parker said. 

“It’s just a good reminder of what outstanding, dedicated people we have in the district,” Parker said following the conclusion of the board meeting. “That’s a large chunk of people, but I’ve also seen years where there’s a lot more (retiring). I think that’s a positive, that a lot of the great people that we have are still going to be here. 

“We wish them well in their retirement. They have earned it, for sure.”

Also from the May 22 board meeting:Adrian Board of Education rates Superintendent Nate Parker 'effective' on evaluation

Parker and the school board, including President Beth Ferguson, spoke fondly about each of the retiring educators and the important contributions made throughout their years of service. 

In other business 

The Adrian Board of Education at its May 22 meeting also: 

• Approved a proposal from Building Maps to conduct a critical incident site mapping plan for all buildings in the school campus. The district received safety funds of $31,505 to be used for site mapping, which serves as a tool that provides building floor plans and labeling of specific building features. The maps provide law enforcement and other officials with important building-related information during a critical incident. The amount for the proposal, which will cover all school buildings and Drager Early Learning Center, is $28,500. 

• Approved the recommendation from business manager Dan Pena to continue using Toft’s Dairy for the 2023-24 school year as the district’s milk vendor supplier. On average, Pena said, the district spends $120,000 annually on milk.  

• Approved the request to purchase either a 2023 or a 2024 model food service delivery box truck when available, and not to exceed $65,000. The truck will replace a 2006 Ford E350 box truck that has 86,766 miles on it, Pena said. The purchase will be funded through the district’s excess fund balance in its nonprofit food service account. 

• Approved a services agreement for one year with Athletico Physical Therapy Training that will continue during the 2023-24 school year. Athletico has been providing athletic training services to the district since August 2013, originally under the name Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers, Pena said. The district, he added, has been pleased with the services received. Trainers are hired for 40 hours each week for the fall, winter and spring seasons. The agreement also includes additional athletic training coverage for middle school events at $30 per hour. 

• Approved the district’s 2023 tax levy amounts of 18 mills for operations, 3.3 mills for the 2017 debt service and 2.1 mills for the 2016 debt service.

• Selected trustee Michael Ballard to serve as the Adrian board’s representative to vote at the June 5 Lenawee Intermediate School District biennial election. Vice President Jon Baucher was nominated as the alternate representative. The district said it would cast votes in the election for David Pray, Clinton Community Schools, and Paula Holtz, Tecumseh Public Schools, to serve terms on the LISD Board of Education. 

• Accepted donations from community members and thanked them for their support. Six donations were earmarked for the baseball/softball seating project in amounts that ranged from $200 to $1,200. School bus service First Student was recognized for planting a tree on behalf of Adrian Public Schools for Earth Day in April.