Goodrich-After more than 22 years with the school district, Middle School Principal Jerry Lawrason has submitted a letter of resignation due to undisclosed medical reasons.
The school board did not vote on his resignation at the regular Monday meeting due to a contract established between Lawrason and the district in December 2004. The contract, said Board President Mike Tripp, does not make Lawrason an employee of the district, thus no vote was needed.
While terms of the contract established by School Staffing Source, Inc. were not disclosed, school officials say the district saved about 30 percent on his compensation package each year. The school had saved on his Social Security health package in addition to about an 18 percent reduction in salary at the time of the deal.
Lawrason, 66, has served as middle school principal and transportation director since 1986, and had stayed on at the school under a yearly contract for the past five years.
He was replaced earlier this month by Paul Minns, the former Reid Elementary principal who was filling in at the high school for David St. Aubin while he is serving in the United States Army stationed in Iraq. Former Assistant High School Principal Mike Ellis is the acting high school principal and high school teacher Stephanie O? Dea is the acting assistant high school principal.
Lawrason started as a substitute teacher in the Novi School District in 1965. His first teaching job was at the Norup Junior High School in the Berkley School District. During his 21 years in Berkley, he served as a teacher, counselor and assistant principal at the middle school and high school.
He came to the Goodrich District in 1986. Lawrason received a B.S and M.A. from Eastern Michigan University. He later earned a Ph. D. from the University of Michigan’Ann Arbor in 1988.