Retiring Grass Lake superintendent looks back on time with district

GRASS LAKE, MI -- Though his career has spanned more than four decades and taken him to opposite sides of the country, Ryle Kiser looks back on his years at Grass Lake Community Schools as some of the most rewarding and productive of his life.

“I loved my time in Grass Lake - it was an opportunity that very few people get,” Kiser said. “This is just a great place to work, and I appreciate the time they gave me to be their educational leader. Probably one of the best spots in my entire career.”

Kiser plans to retire from Grass Lake, with a tentative final day set for June 30.

His retirement won’t spell the end of his days in the workforce, though, as Kiser said he’s already accepted a professorship at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he’s set to teach master’s-level education administration courses.

A self-described “workaholic,” Kiser said he’s always had the question of how he would keep himself busy after retirement in the back of his mind.

Having received a doctorate in educational leadership from Central Michigan University, Kiser began “dabbling” in potential college-level teaching positions, and received positive responses from a few different universities, he said.

Kiser’s decision to move on from Grass Lake after nearly eight-and-a-half years comes at a time when he said he believes the school district is in a healthy place, with an academically competitive student body, a stable financial situation and, above all, a strong administrative staff Kiser likens more to a cohesive team rather than a group of co-workers.

“I was still the superintendent, but I felt that I was positive in building a team with my administration and the teachers,” Kiser said. “Our staff is top-notch, I’m very thrilled with the staff we have here in Grass Lake. Whoever gets the job, I feel like I’m handing off a very solid position.”

The “1:1 Technology Initiative” - one of the first major districtwide changes made under Kiser’s leadership - remains one of his proudest accomplishments, he said.

The program made Grass Lake one of the first districts in Jackson County to make the transition to ensure every student in the district had a computer or IT device to use for their studies, Kiser said.

Kiser is also proud of his district’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were very successful - our kids did not regress as much as some of the other school districts around the state felt their students regressed,” Kiser said. “We’re really proud of the way that came out.”

‘It became a passion of mine’

Kiser began his educational career as a teacher in his home state of Washington nearly 40 years ago, and took on several administrative roles in the state before coming to Michigan to live closer to his wife’s family in the Grand Rapids area.

After originally attending Eastern Washington University with plans to pursue a major in chemical engineering, Kiser made the switch to public education in 1983 after coaching youth football while in college.

“I absolutely fell in love with working with the kids,” Kiser said. “It became a passion of mine to be involved with students of all grade levels.”

Kiser originally focused on high school education largely because it allowed him to also coach at the high school level.

Before making the move to Grass Lake, Kiser was superintendent of Peck Community Schools in Sanilac County since 2010.

Kiser also previously worked as a middle school/high school principal in the Upper Peninsula’s Rapid River Schools for three years, a middle school/high school principal in Van Buren County’s Bloomingdale Public Schools for three years and a high school principal in Tuscola County’s Reese Public Schools for seven years before going to Peck.

The Grass Lake School Board has begun the process to find Grass Lake’s next superintendent. The Michigan Association of School Boards is acting as a consultant in the search. Information an be found on the district’s website.

A public community feedback survey is open until Friday, April 19, allowing members of the Grass Lake community - along with district staff and administrators - to help build a profile of the ideal candidate.

The deadline for prospective candidates to apply is May 21. After a May 28 board workshop, interviews with candidates are set to take place at 6 p.m. June 4 and June 7. A second round of interviews - after which a new superintendent might be chosen - is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 14.

If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Jackson” daily newsletter.