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Ida's Herb Gabehart retiring - 11/25/2003
The superintendent has been at Ida for 27 years.
By RAY KISONAS
Evening News staff writer
Herb Gabehart, superintendent for Ida Public Schools the last 27 years, is retiring. Mr. Gabehart, 64, will leave the district in June and conclude a career in education that spans more than four decades. "After 42 years and six school districts, it's time," he said. "I enjoy my job here; it's a great school district." Mr. Gabehart came to Ida in 1977 from Roseville, a Detroit suburb. He succeeded Harry Firestone, who was considered an icon by many in the district. The late Mr. Firestone was with the district 34 years, meaning Ida schools has had only two leaders the past 61 years. "Another icon followed Harry," said Ida High School Principal Marvin Dick. "Herb will be missed. He's taken us through some tough times." Some of those difficult times included a teacher's strike and a board recall in the mid-1990s that split the community. During those times, Mr. Gabehart endured scrutiny from several board members who temporarily refused to extend his contract and questioned his leadership. Mr. Gabehart publicly told board members that he did not trust them after those attacks. Apparently neither did the majority of Ida voters because they recalled five of those board members in 1994, effectively supporting their superintendent. The year after, a new board gave Mr. Gabehart solid support with excellent scores in his job evaluation. That ended the turmoil. In the 10 years since, Mr. Gabehart has overseen a district that has seen growth in enrollment and routinely high state standardized test scores. "I enjoy all the people I work with," he said. "It's an ideal situation." Nonetheless, Mr. Gabehart has decided to step down at the end of the school year. The board of education is expected to interview and perhaps hire a superintendent search firm in time for its Dec. 8 meeting. Mr. Gabehart said he wanted to announce his retirement early to give the district sufficient time to find his successor. He said he would be happy to help in the transition. One aspect of the job he will be happy to leave behind is the continuous money problems from the state level. "The constant pressure on the cash flow is the most distasteful thing about the job through all the years," Mr. Gabehart said. "That's one thing I'll miss least of all." A native of the Flint area, Mr. Gabehart served as an administrator and English teacher in several Michigan school districts before arriving at Ida. He is a 1962 graduate of Albion College and earned his master's and educational specialist degrees from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti. He and his wife, Elizabeth, the career education coordinator with the Monroe County Intermediate School District, live in Ida. They have two grown children, a son in New Jersey and a daughter in North Carolina. Mr. Gabehart said he has not decided about any plans after his retirement, saying there is too much to accomplish between now and June. "I haven't even started thinking about it," he said.
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