Joseph Hige, Jr., to step down from Northville Board of Education at the end of four-year term; Candidates sought to fill open one-year term extension

Northville Board of Education member Joseph Hige, Jr., will step down from the Board at the completion of his current four-year term on December 31, 2013. In doing this, Hige is opting not to serve the additional one-year extension of his term that is the result of a new state law that went into effect in 2012 requiring that school board elections across the state take place only during General Elections, which occur in November of even numbered years.

 Hige first made the announcement at the Northville Board of Education Special Call meeting on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, with the appointment process confirmed at the September 24, 2013 Board of Education meeting.

 “It is with all due respect that I inform the Board and the community that I will step down from the Board of Education at the end of my four-year term in December,” Hige said. “It has been my honor to serve the community as a member of the Board of Education. I appreciate the opportunity to work with my colleagues on the Board, the Central Office Leadership Team, the teachers, administrators, staff, parents and students who make Northville Public Schools an outstanding district.”

 In the case of such a resignation, the Board’s by-laws require that the remaining Board of Education members appoint a legally qualified individual to fill the vacancy. The appointee will serve on the Board through December 31, 2014, and may choose to run for election to the four-year term beginning in January 2015 in the next regular school board election on November 4, 2014.

Northville school district residents interested in serving the one-year term are asked to complete the Board of Education Appointment Application, which can be found on the district’s website at www.northvilleschools.org. The deadline for applications is noon on October 24, 2013. The Board of Education will interview candidates at a public meeting(s) to be scheduled between Tuesday, October 29, 2013, and Tuesday, November 12, 2013, with final approval by the Board anticipated at the Board of Education regular meeting on either November 12 or November 19, 2013. Specific dates, times and locations for candidate interviews, which are open to the public, will be announced as soon as they are available.

 “Joe has served as an advocate for Northville school children and families in his roles as a Board trustee and treasurer over the last four years,” said Northville Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher. “We value Joe’s input into Board decisions and knowledge of budgetary practices, and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

 “We appreciate Joe’s service to the children and families of Northville, and recognize the impact he has had as a member of the Board of Education,” said Board President Ken Roth. “We welcome applications from Northville school district residents interested in serving on the Northville Board of Education, and look forward, as a Board, to working in partnership with district leaders, school families, staff and community members to serve the educational needs of all our students.”

Elected to the Northville Board of Education in November 2009, Hige has served three terms as treasurer and has been the Board liaison on the Northville Parks and Recreation Commission for the past several years.