With 29 years in public education and 15 years of service to the Pickford School District, Superintendent Angela Nettleton has announced her retirement, effective May 1, 2025. Mrs. Nettleton will be leaving a lot of footprints in the district. Having a background in intervention and special education, she promoted effective learning strategies and supports within the classroom setting, as well as encouraging all students to put forth their best efforts to grow and achieve. It was not unusual for her to take a struggling student aside and work one on one with them to get them to the finish line. She was an avid promoter in bringing CTE programs to students in our region, being an integral part of the committee that would help pass the mileage to add more CTE programs for our area students and support the ones already in place. She was able to add a Cyber Security and HVAC program in our own district, and encouraged students to explore CTE program options that other area districts offered. As dual enrollment opportunities grew and early middle college opportunities took hold, she promoted higher education to students. To appreciate that every student is not the same, nor do they learn the same or have the same means to achieve their goals, Mrs. Nettleton made sure there was an even playing field for all to be successful.
As our district grew, it was evident that our building also needed to expand. The need for more classroom space, and some essential repairs would bring on a monumental challenge of passing not one, but two millages. Mrs. Nettleton spearheaded a committee that would undertake this project, and together with the support of our great community, new construction and remodeling took place to create an amazing space for student learning.
During COVID, Mrs. Nettleton was the driving force in ensuring that all students and staff had what was necessary to move forward with remote education. Sending out buses with meals and computers, setting up internet access, and encouraging everyone during very uncertain times were challenging responsibilities, but she made sure that the district was able to handle them successfully. Coming back to in-person education, she arranged extra counseling and after school programs to help students catch up and find their way back to normal.
As she embarks on her next chapter, Mrs. Nettleton remarked that "it has been an incredible privilege to serve this district while working alongside an amazing administrative team, a talented teaching staff, a hard working support staff, and involved and supportive parents and community members -- all dedicated to the success of our Panther students."
The Board of Education has begun the process of the superintendent search for Pickford Public Schools, and has officially retained Michigan Leadership Institutes’ services to aid in the search. The community will have opportunities to provide input throughout the process. The board is planning to have a new superintendent in place in July. Principal Kyle Rairigh will lead the district as interim superintendent beginning May 1, 2025.