The Sevastopol Board of Education approved the hiring of a new Elementary Principal and Director of Special Education during its regular meeting Thursday evening. However, the vote confirming the hiring of Kathleen Hoppe, Assistant Superintendent of the Waterford School District, was disrupted by a small, vocal and raucous group. The group, supporters of former Principal Mary Donaldson, first complained that they couldn’t hear the board. They wanted to know why a sound system wasn’t available. Then questions were raised about the committees that interviewed the candidates, there were shouts from time to time and other disruptive activity. The recommendation, which was approved unanimously, did not get to a vote until a plea for decorum was made. The new principal is expected to be in the district on Monday. As reported before, five candidates were interviewed by three committees. The list included Tammy Kielbasa, former Superintendent of the Washington Island School District, Marc Vanderhouten, an elementary teacher at Southern Door, Laura Nelson, a retired Superintendent from the Amboy School District in Illinois, and Patricia Dwyer, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services for the Marion School District.
