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Kenowa Hills Board approves Phase 2 athletic bids, ice‑hockey cooperative and two new hires; superintendent contract review planned
Summary
At its Aug. 25 meeting the Kenowa Hills Board of Education approved Phase 2 athletic improvement bid awards, an ice‑hockey cooperative agreement with East Kentwood, and a consent agenda that included two new middle‑school success‑coach hires; the board also voted to seek an outside review of the superintendent's salary and remove an extra‑duty HR clause from the contract.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Kenowa Hills Board of Education on Aug. 25 approved Phase 2 athletic improvement bid awards, accepted an ice‑hockey cooperative agreement with East Kentwood High School and confirmed two new middle‑school success‑coach hires while agreeing to pursue an outside review of the superintendent's salary.
The board convened at the Kenowa Hills Administration Building at 6:00 p.m. and unanimously approved the meeting agenda after President LaBotz rearranged two information items so outside consultants from Owen‑Ames‑Kimball could present first. The board then reviewed routine recognitions and noted receipt of a personnel complaint that Superintendent Hopkins acknowledged for the record.
Board members discussed the superintendent's contract and agreed to remove language tying extra Human Resources duties to the superintendent's contract. They also directed staff to contract with an outside organization to determine whether any salary adjustments are appropriate at the time of the superintendent's mid‑year evaluation; no salary change was approved at the meeting.
Presenters from Owen‑Ames‑Kimball, Autumn Lone and Ryan Nugent, reviewed recommendations for Phase 2 of the district's athletic improvements (Report #25‑056). After the presentation, Member Hart moved, with Member Courtade seconding, to approve the Phase 2 bid awards as recommended; the motion carried 7‑0.
Coach Mulvey and the high school athletic director presented an ice‑hockey cooperative agreement proposal to partner with East Kentwood High School. That agreement was included on the consent agenda and approved without separate roll‑call debate.
The board approved the consent agenda, moved by Member Courtade and supported by Member Turner, by a 7‑0 vote. Consent items listed in the minutes included the Aug. 11 Committee of the Whole minutes, the WMHIP renewal, the Ice Hockey Cooperative Agreement Proposal and certified staff personnel recommendations.
The personnel items recorded two new hires: Shakur Sanders as a Success Coach at the middle school with a prorated 2025–26 salary of $46,354, and James Humphrey as a Success Coach at the middle school with a prorated salary of $45,445. Both contracts run Aug. 25, 2025, through June 17, 2026.
Two audience members spoke during public comment; the minutes note that inquiries requiring a response will be referred to the superintendent when contact information is provided.
The board listed upcoming Committee of the Whole and Regular meetings for Sept. 8 and Sept. 22, 2025, and adjourned at 7:42 p.m.
The meeting minutes did not specify any contested votes or conditions attached to the bid awards or cooperative agreement; next procedural steps for the approved projects or agreements were not detailed in the minutes.
