Head of EV schools considering new post

East Valley School District Superintendent Michael Jones is seeking the superintendent post in a Port Huron, Mich., school district.

Jones, who has been with East Valley since 2001, is one of two finalists for the job in the Port Huron Area School District, located 50 miles northeast of downtown Detroit.

“I’m completely happy at East Valley; nothing is wrong,” Jones said Tuesday from Chicago, where he was dealing with the death of his mother. “I’ve just wanted to have a bigger school district … for some time. And I wanted to move to the Midwest.”

Jones, 60, has family in the Midwest, which included his mother, who passed away Sunday.

“One of the motivations was my mother, but she’s gone now,” Jones said. “I explained that to the school board.”

In 2003, Jones was recruited for a superintendent position in Lexington, Ky., and did not tell East Valley School Board members about the interview. The board learned of his plans after he was photographed by a Lexington newspaper as he walked in for the meeting with school administrators in Kentucky.

The lack of communication surrounding that interview was cause for concern for the district, but this time Jones was forthright about his plans, said East Valley School Board President June Sine.

“We’ve had some informal conversations; it was not a surprise when we learned of his interview this weekend,” she said.

“He has done a lot for this district. He has really put us on the right track with our finances and in a number of areas,” Sine said. “We certainly would like to see him stay, and that still may happen.”

Sine said all five board members support Jones’ decision to look elsewhere for a job but would be disappointed if he left.

“He’s done a great job for us here at East Valley,” she said.

Jones turned around the financial stability of the district in the face of tight budget times locally and nationally and brought up test scores during his four-year stay.

He said he’s proud of what he’s accomplished so far and feels like he’s done well with the challenges presented to him.

“I love the community,” Jones said. “I’ve always been fascinated over the fact that they have been so accommodating with me.

“I’m a black superintendent in an all-white district that, in and of itself, is just dynamic,” Jones added.

Port Huron has about 12,000 students, compared to the 4,000 who attend East Valley schools.

Jones earns $117,000. If he accepted the job with Port Huron, the district is offering a multi-year contract with a salary between $135,000 and $145,000.

The final interviews, which were expected to take place this week, have been postponed. That’s partly due to the death of Jones’ mother and partly because of another job candidate’s unexpected illness, said Robert Janson, who works for the recruiting firm hired by Port Huron.

Jones was selected from a pool of 26 candidates, which was pared down to six and then to the two finalists, Janson said.

The job in East Valley was the first superintendent position for Jones, who worked in business administration for 25 years before turning to education.

When Jones applied for the East Valley position in April 2001, he wrote a letter to community members saying he would remain their superintendent until he retired, if that was what the community wanted. He said it was his “intention to work until I am sixty-five years old.”

“If I am fortunate enough to be selected as your next Superintendent of Schools, and you desire my services until I am sixty-five, they will be available,” Jones wrote. “It’s my strong belief that it is unhealthy for a district to frequently change superintendents.”

Jones said Tuesday he did not remember writing that letter.

“There has always been lots of conversation about whether I would stay,” Jones said. “I’m really in an ideal position now. I simply want more responsibility.

“It’s really nothing else other than that.”