It took a little more than a month, but the Cassopolis Board of Education has finalized a contract with Angela Piazza to become the district’s next superintendent.

The board unanimously voted to approve Piazza’s contract, which will run from July 1 through June 30, 2020.

“We are happy that everything went really smooth,” said Cassopolis Board of Education President Scott Ward following Monday night’s regular meeting. “It has been a little bit of a process because a lot of the board members have never been involved in anything like this and I know she has not either.

“I think we all came to an agreement that is best for the community and we are looking forward to seeing what she can come in and do with the district and to pick up where Tracy (Hertsel) left off.”

Piazza’s base salary will be $112,000 per year.

Piazza, who is currently the assistant superintendent at Goshen Community Schools, is replacing Hertsel, who is retiring at the end of the current school year. The two were scheduled to meet Wednesday and begin the process of preparing a transition plan.

Piazza said she is ready to get started.

“I am looking forward to getting to know the Cassopolis staff,” she said. “I am really looking forward to becoming part of the community. We will be putting together a transition plan so that I can get to know the schools, get to know the staff and the students.”

Piazza has been working on multiple initiatives in the Goshen school district that Cassopolis would like to tackle in the future. She feels that her experience with these initiatives will be a plus.

“I am looking forward to getting to know the direction that the district wants to move in,” Piazza said. “Getting to know the needs of the school and getting to know the students. That will help to drive what our goals will be.”

Piazza has 25 years of experience in education, including Title 1 director at Lake Ridge Schools and principal at the Calumet (Indiana) New Tech High School.

She is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and Oakland City University, where she received her doctorate.

She has worked at Goshen Community Schools since 2014.

Piazza is no stranger to southwest Michigan having taught at the Bethel Christian Academy in Buchanan for two years from 1994 to 1996.

The board also approved a motion to move forward with building a new agriculture barn south of the soccer field, which will include an access road that will service soccer, football and the barn.

The board voted 4-2 in favor of building the barn with Sue Horstmann and Lisa Cutting voting against the measure.

Horstmann and Cutting were in favor of the project, but wanted to see more concrete figures on the cost of building the barn and the access road before voting on the project.

An overnight trip request for the Cassopolis Robotics team was approved.

The RoboRangers have qualified for the state championships and will be traveling to Saginaw Valley State University for the competition through Saturday.

The next board of education meeting at Squires Education Center will be at 7 p.m. April 24.