Kyle Corlett
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
LUDINGTON — Ludington Area School District Superintendent Kyle Corlett is resigning his position, effective Dec. 7. The board of education accepted Corlett’s resignation during a special meeting held at L.F. Peterson Auditorium on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Dr. Corlett’s resignation comes following months of strenuous and stalled negotiations with the Ludington Education Association with claims from the school’s administration that the LEA’s requests were beyond the school’s budget.
Last month, the administration discovered, through an audit, that it had actually made an accounting error of over $2.2 million. See related story.
On Monday, Dec. 1, the school’s business manager, Laura Jacobs, resigned effective that day.
“Due to ongoing health reasons, I determined that retirement is the best course of action at this time,” Jacobs said in her two-sentence resignation letter.
Jacobs had previously been the business manager of Shelby Public School District.
Corlett’s tenure began in January 2022 following the resignation of Jason Kennedy, who was hired by Fruitport Public School District. A native of Kankakee, LASD was Corlett’s first superintendent job.
The board of education accepted Corlett’s resignation following a closed session that lasted about 40 minutes.
“In light of the recent inaccuracies in the LASD budget, we are announcing leadership and procedural changes in the district,” Dr. Brett Autrey, president of the board of education said, reading a written statement. “The board has accepted the resignation of Superintendent Kyl Corlett, which will be effective Dec. 7. We appreciate Kyle’s many efforts on behalf of the district over the past three years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
The board also announced the appointment of Mary Marshall of Pentwater as interim superintendent. Marshall, Autrey said, has over 30 years of experience in education as a teacher and administrator. She had previously worked at school districts in Ypsilanti and Dexter, and also at Pentwater Public Schools. She served as superintendent at Dexter and Pentwater. She is currently the Pentwater village council president.
“Mary appreciates the opportunity to support LASD and will be ready to begin her work on Dec. 8,” Autrey said.
Autrey also noted that Jacobs had resigned as well.
“We are currently in discussions with an experienced financial professional who will be able to provide day-to-day oversight of our business office,” Autrey said. “While we are finalizing discussion for our interim CFO (chief financial officer) and begin search for a full time replacement, the West Shore ESD (Educational Service District) has offered to support our business office. We are grateful for the ESD’s willingness to work closely with the board’s finance committee on the district’s finances.
“Financial reporting is one of the most basic functions of any organization, and the district simply must have accurate information so we can make decisions. The fact these errors happened during our contract negotiations is inexcusable. The board is working to begin the reviewing of the business office’s current practices to ensure they will align with generally accepted accounting procedures. This was an area of weakness identified by the audit and the investigation and must be addressed immediately.
“As a board, we apologize again for these mistakes and the impact they have had on our teachers and staff. We recognize the district needs to work to rebuild trust in the board, and acknowledging and apologizing for the errors are only the first steps on that journey. It’s our hope these leadership and procedural changes will help us move forward together productively so we can focus on our mission to provide a high quality learning experience for every student, support for educations who lead in the classroom and strong community partnerships that enrich the educational experience.”
A letter from Corlett was sent to LASD staff:
“In partnership with the LASD Board of Education, I have agreed to resign from my position as superintendent of Ludington Area School District, effective Dec. 7, 2025, as part of a mutally agreed-upon separation agreement,” the letter states. “It has been an honor to serve this community, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead a district filled with talented staff, dedicated families and exceptional students.
“During my time here we completed major components of the $100 million bond proejct, including signficant facility improvements at OJ (OJ DeJonge Middle School) and LHS (Ludington High School), and renewed both the sinking fund and operational millage. We strengthened academic programming by updating core curriculum materials, expanding ELL suports, improving SAT and AP performance, and offering summer learning opportunities. We also increased student and staff support systems through added mental health resources, at-risk positions, and the launch of an after-school childcare program. With input from all stakeholder groups, we developed a 2022-2027 strategic plan that will continue to guide the district forward.
“I am proud of what we accomplished together. I leave knowing the district is well-positioned for continued success, and I remain grateful for the opportunity to have served the Ludington Area School District.”
The board did not comment on the settlement terms. MCP will be requesting, under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, the amounts of the Corlett’s severance.
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