A school superintendent spent his summer vacation repainting the school to save the district $150,000.
Dr. David Harnish took over as superintendent for Martin Public Schools in Michigan in 2014. Since his first day he focused on improvements to the schools.
Over the next couple years, he juggled his job as superintendent with being the high school and junior high principal. And he implemented plenty of changes, including restoring a woodworking teacher’s full-time status after his hours were cut to save money. But perhaps the most memorable achievement of his career had to do with paint.
In 2018, a bond gave the school district $18 million for upgrades, which the school planned to use on a new auditorium and gym. The building was also in dire need of a new paint job, but David didn’t want to spend $150,000 to hire professionals when the money could be put to better use. So he came up with a better idea: He’d do it himself!
Throughout the summer, David put in 90-hour work weeks, giving each room a fresh coat of paint. It was a monumental task, but he was committed to seeing it through. Thankfully, he had help from Martin High graduates and older students looking for summer jobs.
The money the project saved was enough to set up solar-powered energy in every building in the school district!
David retired this year after many years of hard work. And while his colleagues were sad to see him go, they’re happy that he’ll finally be able to focus on himself.