Tecumseh Public School board selects Kelly Coffin for superintendent

It took two votes at Wednesday night’s special meeting of the Tecumseh School Board, but in the end Dr. Kelly Coffin was offered the position of superintendent of schools over the other two primary candidates, Dr. Mike Osborne, superintendent of the Morenci/Hudson School District; and Sean McNatt, superintendent of the Breckenridge School District.The board has been in the process of selecting a replacement for retiring Supt. Mike McAran whose final day in office will be June 30.The school trustees were deadlocked in the first vote 3-3. In the roll call vote: Greg Johnson – Coffin, Roger Hart – Coffin, Kim Amstutz-Wild – Osborne, Ed Tritt – Osborne, Jim Rice – Osborne, and Stanley Ames – Coffin. Trustee Matt Oren abstained.After lengthy discussion in a point-by-point analysis of the two candidates’ responses to the two interviews that the finalists were granted, the board voted again and Coffin was chosen as the next Tecumseh Public Schools superintendent 6-1. In the final vote, Oren participated and threw his support to Coffin.Before the vote, the board discussed contract and wage issues and the board reasserted the previously discussed salary limit of $130,000 including annuities and benefits. Coffin will be offered the contract, but there will be further negotiations on other points such as vacation and family leave. “I’m thrilled to be offered the position,” Coffin said Thursday. “I wouldn’t have taken it this far if I wasn’t 100 percent committed to the job.”