Kenowa Hills — The Kenowa Hills Board of Education has selected three finalists for the open superintendent position and will conduct interviews this Thursday, May 14.
Following the interviews, the board will deliberate in hopes of making a final decision.
All interviews are open to the public and will take place at Kenowa Hills Middle School, 3950 Hendershot Ave. NW. The interview schedule is as follows:
- 6 p.m., Randy Barton, assistant superintendent, Mason Public Schools
- 7:15 p.m., Mitch Balingit, Collins Elementary principal, Forest Hills Public Schools
- 8:30 p.m., Cherie Horner, director of human resources, Kenowa Hills Public Schools
District staff are also invited to a meet-and-greet event with the candidates starting at 4 p.m. on Thursday at the Kenowa Hills Middle School cafeteria. Families and community members can join this event starting at 4:45 p.m.
Meet the Candidates
Randy Barton has served as assistant superintendent of academic services for Mason Public Schools since 2023. Prior to that, he served as interim superintendent for a year and associate superintendent and director of curriculum and instruction from 2018 to 2022. He also was a principal in Ovid-Elsie Area Schools from 2011 to 2018.
Mitch Balingit has served as principal at Collins Elementary in Forest Hills Public Schools since 2010. Previously, he served as a middle school principal in Grand Rapids Public Schools for five years.
Cherie Horner has served as director of human resources for Kenowa Hills since 2025 and previously served as principal at Central Elementary for 10 years. She also held principal and assistant principal positions in Chicago Public Schools for nine years.
“We are appreciative of candidates interested in becoming the next leader for Kenowa Hills Public Schools,” board President Erin LaBotz said. “The applicant pool has quality candidates who may be the right fit for our school district and community.”
LaBotz said the board hopes to have a new superintendent begin on July 1, following the retirement of Superintendent Jerry Hopkins on June 30.
The board has been working with the Michigan Leadership Institute to assist their search efforts. For more information, contact Julie Lanka, executive assistant to the superintendent, by email at jlanka@khps.org.
Read more from Kenowa Hills:
• Trio of area schools recognized for literacy achievements
• Shredding the slopes with hand-built boards
