Mike Haverdink will retire at the end of this academic year as the principal of Steeby Elementary School.

Supt. Norman Taylor, in acknowledging Haverdink stepping down, said, “We will be posting for his position in the near future.”

A special panel will review applications for his successor after they are received. The panel will include administrators and one representative from the Wayland Board of Education.

“I am not stepping down, but retiring from public education service at the end of the 18-19 school year, in June, because I am able to,” he commented.

Haverdink, who came to Wayland in 2002, graduated from Western Michigan University in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in history and he earned his master of arts in educational leadership from WMU in 2000.

He has been principal at Steeby for five years  and this past academic year has been his 25th in the education field. He has been an administrator for 21 of those 25 years, 12 of those as assistant principal at Wayland High School. He started his career teaching high school social studies in a neighboring district.

Haverdink took a leave of absence last year to have knee surgery. Several years ago he was battling testicular cancer.

He is married and has three adult sons.