With news emerging today that Dowagiac Superintendent Mark Daniel will be departing from the district in July, there’s little doubt the schools will be embarking on a course wrought with Proverbial potholes.

While the school board is just beginning to formulate plans on how to proceed with finding a replacement for Daniel, they should focus on as smooth a transition as possible once a candidate is identified.

Daniel’s departure comes in a critical point for the district. Many Union school buildings have elements that are in need of updating, which is an issue that Daniel had faced throughout his four-year tenure.

Recently, the district has been hosting tours of its facilities, though the process has been delayed slightly by the weather. While Daniel will stay-on long enough to see these walkthroughs to their completion, it will take more than a few months to compile the feedback received by attendees into workable plan of action.

With the board suddenly faced with the search for a new leader for the district, there’s the possibility that this project could be lost in the shuffle, or at least de-emphasized by the new superintendent. We feel this would be a lost opportunity, should that happen.

Daniel has said that he will assist with the transition for his remaining months with the district. However, there’s no guarantee that the search for his successor will take a short period of time, meaning he may only have a few weeks to prepare the incoming superintendent for the job.

It’s imperative that the district maintains the course toward improvement it has held over the last few years, and picking the right educator for the job will be the best way to keep the district on track.

We wish Daniel the best of luck in this new chapter of his career, and we wish the school board luck in finding someone to fill his shoes. While it surely won’t be easy, we’re confident the move will result in bigger and better things for everyone involved.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Craig Haupert, Ambrosia Neldon, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.