Benton Harbor Area Schools superintendent announces plans to move on

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Butts announced in a letter to the community and school district families that he has decided not to renew his contract at the end of the current school year.

Butts said his final day as superintendent will be June 30.

In the announcement letter, Butts states in part, "In the coming months, I will work closely with our Board of Education and leadership team to ensure a smooth transition. My priority remains to continue supporting our students and ensuring the district is well-positioned for exponential growth and achievement."

Wednesday afternoon, Benton Harbor Area Schools responded to the news with a message of their own

From BHAS:

We, the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education, thank Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Butts for his leadership and contributions to the district during his tenure. We acknowledge the progress made under his guidance and wish him the best in his future professional endeavors.

The Board is committed to the continued success of our district and is confident in our ability to move forward with the selection of a qualified Superintendent of BHAS who will engage with our community stakeholders while upholding the district's mission, vision, and goals. We will develop a timeline and update the community as we work to maintain transparency throughout this process.

The educational success of our students remains our number one priority.

We have made significant progress in recent years and ask our community to continue to fight with the Tiger Nation as we work to revitalize Benton Harbor Area Schools.