PORTAGE (WKZO) -- Portage Schools Superintendent. Marsha Wells has issued a statement after several Trustees announced they would like to fire her this week. Board President Kevin Hollenbeck says deep differences between the trustees and Wells went public for the first time Monday night when Wells decided to hold an informal evaluation session in public rather than behind closed doors, as is her privilege.
She may have hoped it might stifle public discussion of growing dissatisfaction with her leadership, but board members let it all hang out, and they came close to terminating her after a session that lasted 6 hours. Hollenbeck says both are competent, both have the district’s best interests at heart, they just don’t see eye to eye on how to do it.
Wells issued a statement calling the differences “regrettable” and saying she remains passionate about her job, and that she will work to settle her differences with the board.
Hollenbeck says he’s not for firing her. He says they would have to pay off the rest of her contract, and finding a replacement will be a tough job. The district’s leadership has been in turmoil for two years, losing two board presidents who just became fed up and quit.
The matter isn’t settled. Her formal evaluation comes up in April, and it could come up again at any meeting between now and then.
