By Sterling McGinn
The Tahquamenon Area Schools (TAS) Board of Education met for a special meeting Monday night where they voted to hire Shawn Tebo as the new district superintendent following a several-month long search process.
The meeting took place on May 12 at 5 p.m. with about 10 members of the public present.
The board originally anticipated conducting two interviews that night, however, the other candidate, John Herbert, withdrew his application a few days prior to the second round of interviews. No reasons for his decision to decline a second interview were given publicly.
TAS has been working with the Michigan Leadership Institute (MLI), a firm hired to assist in the search process after current superintendent Stacy Price announced her retirement effective June 30, 2025. The district needs to fill the role by a July 1 deadline. Dr. John Scholten, a representative of MLI, was assigned to the TAS search.
Nine candidates applied, with one withdrawing before the initial meeting where candidates were selected for a first-round interview.
The eight candidates were reviewed in closed session, with the board selecting Tebo, John Herbert and current TAS 7-12 grade principal Trevor Clark as semi-finalists. The other five applicants were not revealed.
The three were interviewed on Monday, May 12. Though the board expressed many positives and strengths for Clark, the board voted to not return him for a final interview as they felt he lacked experience and confidence due to having only two years of experience as an administrator.
Tebo spent 12 years at Hillman Community Schools, in Hillman, Michigan, where she served as elementary principal and eventually in a dual role as elementary principal and superintendent. She also taught in Florida. She is currently working as a third-grade teacher at G. T. Norman Elementary School in Reed City, Michigan.
She told the board in her initial interview that she was anxious to return to an administrative role. She is also quite familiar with the area and noted that she had a connection to Hulbert Lake, where she visited many times.
Tebo toured the TAS facility with board members Eric Feldhusen and Veronica Edwards during the school day on May 12, and she expressed many positive aspects of the district.
“I was very impressed with the small district having so many opportunities for students,” Tebo said. “The wood shop, the art program, the science labs, and the C.A.M.P. [school-based health center] were amazing.”
She met many students and staff during her tour.
“She said we need to focus on the positives and not so much on what is holding us down,” said Trustee Edwards. “She felt the new gymnasium floor was a source of pride and she was blown away by the new shop room.”
Tebo identified challenges in the district, including finishing the bond project, prioritizing projects, determining the fate of the 1927 high school, which is no longer in service, and increasing school enrollment.
Tebo believes that a superintendent needs to be a visible leader, and that being part of the community builds positive relationships. She told the board of her experience with grant writing and fundraising in previous schools and her effort in involving the entire community in major decision effecting the districts.
Following her interview that night, the board deliberated on the decision of moving forward.
The board noted Tebo’s past accomplishments as an administrator, including bringing Hillman Community Schools from a Class C to a Class A school and operating on a 15 percent budget when Hillman was faced with major budget cuts.
Tebo was open about being terminated in a 4-3 vote at Hillman Community Schools about 10 years ago. She said that problematic issues in her district were brought to her attention by staff members, which Tebo ultimately reported to the board president.
“She [the board president] asked me to put it in a report with the supporting data I had,” Tebo said. “I did that and handed to her, and I thought I was done and did my part. The superintendent wanted to know where I got my information from, and he pulled over 400 of my emails.”
Tebo said that the school felt three of the emails had some inappropriate references, which led to her termination.
“I had a perfect record,” Tebo said. “I own the emails, but I didn’t think it warranted termination.”
Trustee Amanda Kitzman said she received some information from staff at Reed City.
“I got quite a bit of feedback from the staff she works with currently, and most of it has been fairly negative,” Kitzman said. “What I have heard is that at this point in time, she doesn’t like to try or learn new things, which seems to contradict some of the things she has talked with us about. It could come from her being burnt out on what she is doing.”
Trustee Michael Havens asked who shared that information, and Kitzman stated that the individuals wanted to remain anonymous.
“She gets to be interviewed in public, and someone just gets to slip this under the door—I don’t like that,” Havens said.
Trustee Colleen Duflo said she also received the same feedback, which she feels was probably from the same source.
“My biggest challenge is that this is a big decision. The public, the staff, the students are counting on us to make the right choice,” said Duflo. “I really don’t like that this is our only choice.”
Duflo questioned if the position should be opened back up for more candidates, but she wasn’t sure if they would get anyone different interested.
“The pool is not what it used to be,” Dr. Scholten advised. “You asked me if it would be wise to throw the net out again—I don’t know if you are going to bring in new fish or better fish.”
The board decided to not to relist the position.
“I would really like to see what she would do leading our staff, and I like that she wants to come in and see where we are at, as opposed to coming in with an agenda,” said board president Eric Feldhusen. “For me I don’t have any red flags in my head.”
“She has no red flags, and she has the most experience than anyone we have talked about or discussed,” said veteran board member Bruce Klusmeyer. “To have somebody that comes up here and is honest about things that have happened and has been through hiccups and survived and stayed in that position—I have no question about the fact of hiring her.”
The board ultimately voted to hire Tebo pending a board contractual agreement. The motion also authorized the school board president to negotiate with Tebo the contract governing her employment. Trustee Kitzman voted “no.”
The board will be working on the length of the contract and the financial amount. Tebo said she has found housing in the Newberry area.
