Bellevue superintendent among finalists to lead St. Johns Public Schools

Lansing State Journal staff
·2 min read

ST. JOHNS — The superintendent of Bellevue Community Schools is among a group of finalists to lead one of the largest school districts in Clinton County.

Mark McGarry is among five applicants scheduled for public interviews with the Board of Education in St. Johns later this month.

Others chosen for interviews include Anthony Berthiaume, superintendent of New Lothrop Area Public Schools; Kelly Corbett, deputy superintendent in St. Johns; Jay Larner, assistant superintendent for Mattawan Consolidated Schools; and Greg Pratt, retired superintendent for Lowell Area Schools.

St. Johns Public School Superintendent Mark Palmer is retiring June 30 after 24 years with the district.

Interviews will take place in the Band Room at St. Johns High School, 501 W. Sickles St., beginning at 5 p.m. May 15 with Corbett, Larner and Pratt, and 5 p.m. May 16 with Berthiaume and McGarry. All interviews are open to the public.

The district received 14 applications.

“The applicant pool has strong and quality candidates that may meet our needs and expectations,” school board President Timothy Jackson said. “We were pleased with the interest demonstrated in our school district. The Board is ready to learn more about the candidates’ leadership abilities and what each candidate has to offer our students, staff, and community. As always, the board values input from the public and encourages people to attend the interviews. It is our intent to have our new superintendent on the job on July 1.”

St. Johns Public Schools Superintendent Mark Palmer
St. Johns Public Schools Superintendent Mark Palmer

Palmer announced his retirement in a letter to the St. Johns community on Jan. 25. It caps a 35-year career in education, including nearly 24 years in St. Johns.

Palmer became St. Johns High School principal on Dec. 1, 1999, a position he held for the following 18 years. The school board hired Palmer as superintendent in March 2018, replacing Dedrick Martin. Martin left to lead the state School Reform Office.

Jackson said perhaps Palmer’s biggest accomplishment was his work to help get a $64 million bond proposal passed in 2010 while he was principal at St. Johns High School. It funded significant renovations across the district, including rebuilding and remodeling the entire high school campus, Palmer said.

St. Johns has a list of buildings and facilities in need of safety upgrades and renovations and officials are considering asking voters to approve money to fund the work.

A salary range for the next superintendent has not yet been determined, Jackson said. Palmer was expected to earn $145,000 this year.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Bellevue superintendent among finalists to lead St. Johns Public Schools