ESCANABA — The superintendent of Escanaba Area Public Schools recently marked his one-year anniversary in the district’s top position.

Coby Fletcher, who replaced former Superintendent Michele Lemire, said things have been great for him during his time in Escanaba. Fletcher was officially chosen to go into contract negotiations with the Escanaba School Board after a special meeting on May 13, 2017.

“I think it’s going well,” said Fletcher, noting he and the board have made leaps and bounds in the right direction to balance the school’s budget and to make sure Escanaba’s youngest students are well-educated.

The search for a new superintendent began after Lemire resigned to ‘take a position within the Menominee County Intermediate School District (MCISD) in 2017.

At a Nov. 21, 2017, meeting, Escanaba Upper Elementary Principal Steve Martin was named interim superintendent until the board could find a replacement for Lemire. Aiding in the search was the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB).

Prior to coming to Escanaba, Fletcher was the principal of East Lansing High School, which has an enrollment of about 1,150 students, and is ranked among the top 3 percent of schools nationally. Fletcher started his job there in 2014.

Some of Fletcher’s career achievements include closing “an achievement gap and leading the school off the Focus Schools list within a year while increasing ELHS’s overall statewide percentile rank from the 35th to the 90th percentile.”

Fletcher explained he was drawn to Escanaba because it met all of the requirements for where he and his family wanted to go not only in their career path, but also where he wanted to send his children to school.

After his first interview, Fletcher explained he was afraid he didn’t do a good job because he didn’t make it through all of the interview questions in the alloted one-hour time slot. He joked that his wife was hoping he got the job, because it was the only place had applied that she liked.

“It’s been a great transition and its a great place to be,” said Fletcher. “I’m happy to be here.”

One of the biggest challenges Fletcher said he has faced has been managing the district’s budget. Making hard cuts and tough decisions has not been easy for the first-time superintendent. The district is currently facing a shortfall of $1,023,797 for the 2018-2019 school year.

He said he knew coming into the position that Escanaba had been facing funding issues for quite some time, but said he was up for the challenge.

Patience and a learning curve have also been contributing factors in Fletcher’s career in Escanaba. He said he appreciates all of the staff, community, and board members for being patient with him while he learned the ropes of the district.

For the upcoming year, Fletcher said he is looking forward to seeing the Webster Elementary School kindergarten consolidation to transition smoothly.

“I would like the kindergarten center to be able to be successful,” said Fletcher.

In addition, Fletcher said he also hopes the recently implemented early/middle college program goes off without a hitch.

Some items he would like to accomplish in the next year include being more aggressive in the marketing of Escanaba and showcasing all of the things the district has to offer that most schools in the area don’t, explained Fletcher.

If the board approves the motion, Fletcher said he would also like to “be more aggressive” in the community outreach of a sinking fund millage. The millage, which was proposed to voters during a May 8 election, did not pass. Board members, along with Fletcher, are hoping to get the millage back on the November ballot.

When Fletcher is not at the school, he said he enjoys all of the recreational opportunities that Escanaba and the U.P. have to offer including snowshoeing, hiking, and being on the water. If Fletcher is not at his job, he said you can most likely find him “in a kayak somewhere on a river fishing.”

In addition, Fletcher has joined the Escanaba Rotary Club and participated in the Escanaba Downtown Clean-Up last weekend.