Colon Bronson schools partnership under consideration

A shared superintendent with Bronson Community Schools is an option members of the Colon Community Schools Board of Education have agreed to investigate.

The seven-member board Monday decided to consider a partnership with its neighboring district and its first-year leader, Teresa Belote (buh-LOAT). The measure was endorsed as Colon Community Schools is searching for a new school chief after Vic Bugni resigned effective May 8, 11 months into his role as its superintendent.

Colon’s interim superintendent Jay Newman will also post the position in order to assess the pool of candidates who express an interest in overseeing the 609-student district. Newman said he has offered to facilitate with the search, as he did a year ago.

Based on preliminary discussions, the districts would split the cost evenly. Though a dollar amount has not been established, school board president Eric Wagner said the potential relationship would save Colon about $37,000 a year.

Belote, a Bronson resident, previously served as an administrator with Sturgis Public Schools before taking the Bronson job last summer. She earned her doctorate’s degree this spring.