.png)
Jeff Tuka
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
SCOTTVILLE — Mason County Central High School Principal Jeff Tuka has been selected as the next superintendent of Mason County Central Schools following a public interview process that concluded Monday evening. Tuka will become the first alumnus of the school district’s 138 year history to serve as superintendent.
The Mason County Central Board of Education voted to hire Tuka after conducting second-round interviews with the district’s two finalists during a public meeting at Mason County Central High School. Tuka and Jason O’Dell, principal of Evart Middle School, advanced to the final round after first-round interviews earlier this month.
Tuka will replace longtime Superintendent Jeff Mount, who is retiring June 30 after serving 20 years as superintendent and 27 years overall with the district.
Tuka is a 1996 graduate of Mason County Central and currently serves as principal of MCC High School, a position he has held since 2017.
He has worked for MCC since 2008 and has served in multiple roles, including middle school principal, student assessment coordinator, student success specialist and eighth grade social studies teacher.
Before returning to MCC, Tuka also worked at Journey Alternative Junior/Senior High School, Hart Public Schools and briefly served as assistant principal and athletic director at Mona Shores Middle School. He earned degrees from Muskegon Community College, Central Michigan University and Grand Valley State University, and completed the Michigan Leadership Institute superintendent preparation academy in 2024.
O’Dell, the other finalist, has served as principal of Evart Middle School since 2012. His background includes work in school improvement initiatives, district grant programs, bond campaign coordination and implementation of multi-tiered systems of support focused on academics and behavior. He previously served as an assistant principal in Reed City and began his career as an elementary teacher.
The district’s superintendent search began earlier this spring after Mount announced his retirement. The Mason County Central Board of Education worked with the Michigan Leadership Institute to conduct the search, which included community input meetings, surveys, public interviews and meet-and-greet sessions with finalists.
Originally, 12 applicants sought the position. The board selected five semifinalists before narrowing the field to finalists Tuka and O’Dell following first-round interviews held May 4 and 5.
Tuka was the only finalist with direct ties to Mason County Central and the local community. During the first-round interview process earlier this month, about 40 people attended in support of his candidacy.
While a school in Scottville dates back to 1888, Mason County Central School District was formed through consolidation of several rural districts in 1955. Tuka becomes the seventh superintendent in the Central school district’s history. The first was Arnold O. Carlson, who became superintendent of Scottville school in 1935, after serving as principal since 1927.
The board is expected to complete contract negotiations and formally approve Tuka’s employment agreement during a future meeting. According to the district’s published search timeline, the new superintendent is expected to begin duties July 1.
Please Support Local News and Sports Coverage
Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.
The payment can be paid monthly through PayPal: Click this link.
To sign up for an annual subscription, email editor@mediagroup31.com. In the subject line write: Subscription. Please supply your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number (indicate cell phone). We will not share your information with any outside sources.
For more than one email address in a household, the cost is $15 per month per email address.
We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
Payment must be made in advance prior to subscription activation.
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.
