×

Kulbertis disciplined by boards

GLADSTONE — The Gladstone and Rapid River’s school boards approved disciplinary actions that will be taken against Jay Kulbertis (who serves as superintendent for both districts) during a special meeting Tuesday.

The actions stems from the suspension of the early college program in both districts by the state Department of Education. Actions against Kulbertis include a letter of reprimand, a corrective action plan, and cancelling a scheduled salary increase.

In January, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced the districts would be required to discontinue their early college programs. The programs had previously been put on a probation plan due to multiple infractions and audit findings, and the MDE determined the requirements included in the plan had not been completed in a timely manner. Kulbertis took responsibility for the closure of the programs at a combined meeting of the Gladstone and Rapid River school boards last month.

During a meeting of the Gladstone Area Schools Board of Education earlier this month, Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (DSISD) Superintendent Doug Leisenring provided the board with a timeline of events which led to the closure of Gladstone and Rapid River’s early college programs in closed session.

As it dealt with the possibility of disciplining Kulbertis, as well as attorney-client communication, much of the boards’ discussion Tuesday took place in closed session. After the boards left closed session, Gladstone Area Schools Board of Education President Linda Howlett read their resolutions (which were largely identical, except for a section in Gladstone’s resolution stating Kulbertis had “failed to provide appropriate oversight and supervision over other innovative programs, resulting in a significant loss of state funding to the District”).

“We passed (resolutions) … detailing the disciplinary action we’re taking regarding Dr. Kulbertis,” Howlett said. The resolutions were unanimously passed by both boards.

Gladstone Area Schools Board of Education Trustee Steve O’Driscoll said the Gladstone and Rapid River school boards put a great deal of effort into finalizing the disciplinary actions.

“It’s something that we’ve spent a lot of time looking into … and we came to a carefully-calculated resolution,” he said.

Howlett said the resolutions call for multiple steps to be taken in response to Kulbertis’ actions.

“Basically, there will be a letter of reprimand placed in his file, and we will be developing a corrective action plan,” she said. According to the resolutions, the plan will require Kulbertis to:

– improve communications with both school boards, as well as their school and community partners.

– improve relationships with other educational leaders on the state and local levels.

– establish protocols to ensure compliance with any applicable pupil accounting laws, rules, and regulations.

– attend training through the DSISD, the MDE, or another recognized organization on pupil accounting requirements.

– develop a plan for staff training so that staff can learn the requirements for early colleges (if the districts attempt to reopen these programs) and other innovative programs. Elsewhere in the resolutions, it was stated Kulbertis will not be involved with any future early college-related activity in the Gladstone and Rapid River districts.

Kulbertis will be required to follow a plan measuring his progress and compliance with the stipulations as part of the corrective action plan, as well.

At the boards’ suggestion, Howlett said, Kulbertis will also forego a 4 percent salary increase he was due to receive in 2018. He normally receives step increases every other year.

“He will not get a raise (until) 2020,” Howlett said.

O’Driscoll said he was satisfied with how open the boards have been on the matter.

“I’m relieved that we have taken a forthright path,” he said.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today