SerpApi.Org
MANISTEE — Manistee Area Public Schools has hired a new assistant principal for the newly renovated Manistee Early Childhood Center.
The school board voted 4-0 during a regular meeting July 15 to hire Angie Taylor for the role. Board member Paul Antal abstained from voting. Ashley Sensabaugh and Justine Slawinski were absent from the meeting.
Taylor comes to MAPS after 26 years at Mason County Central Schools, where she worked in a number of roles. She started the Victory Early Childhood Center and directed that program for 20 years.
"I am so excited that she's bringing that expertise to us," MAPS curriculum director Amber Kowatch said. "She has told me today that her internal compass is pointing her due north, so I'm really excited that's happening, because she's bringing so much experience and so much enthusiasm for working with all of our students and our parents."
Taylor said she met with Manistee Early Childhood Center staff and looked forward to working with them.
"One of the beautiful conversations we had is we get to walk along this new building together as a team," she said. "And we're all a little bit different shades of green with our experience, how many years we've put in, but going forward, we really get to do this together in such a great, ... high-quality environment."
Superintendent Ron Stoneman said he has known Jeff Mount, Mason County Central's outgoing superintendent, for more than 20 years, and Mount had nothing but good things to say about Taylor.
"Our students, teachers and our parents are going to be supported in such a wonderful way with the skill set that she has and she's bringing to the table," Stoneman said. "Angie had a lot of options in the area for employment, and we're so fortunate that she recognized us as where she wanted to be for the work she wants to do."
Taylor said she is excited to join the district.
"You have beautiful campuses and that early childhood center is fantastic," she said.
The Manistee Early Childhood Center, formerly Madison Elementary School, has undergone renovations to its classrooms, playgrounds and other amenities as part of the district's $30.855 million bond project, which voters approved in May 2021.
The center will house the district's Great Start Readiness Program, infant and toddler care, enrichment daycare for ages 3 and 4, kindergarten, "begindergarten" and daycare for ages 3-12.
Summer programming started at the center June 8.
"I'm just so excited we can have this early childhood center that we've invested a lot of time and money in, and a vision for this community that I've had since the conception and talking about it prior to COVID," Stoneman said. "... Angie's going to help us with our shared vision. It's exciting."
