Saline Board Chooses Scott Robertson for Athletic Review

Tuesday night, the Saline Board of Education voted 6-0 on a motion to have President Michael McVey negotiate to spend up to $12,000 with Scott Robertson to conduct the third-party review of Saline's athletic department.

Robertson owns 53 Athletic Consulting.

McVey will also negotiate with Robertson to refine the scope of the review.

The district received three bids for the job. The ad hoc committee of Michael McVey, Tim Austin and Lauren Gold interviewed all three bidders over the internet.

Consultants Scott Garvis, Scott Robertson and Amy Gibbs submitted proposals and CVs.

Trustee Austin said he favored going with Robertson. Trustee Brad Gerbe said he didn't like the cost associated with Garvis, who is from Iowa, and he didn't see much athletics expertise from Gibbs. He said he thought Robertson would have the most credibility with the school athletics community.

Gerbe also suggested going with a motion that allowed a board member to negotiate with the top candidate. Austin concurred and suggested a motion to have McVey negotiate with Gibbs, refining some of the tasks and lowering the price. Trustee Jennifer Steben agreed. Trustee Darcy Berwick was put off by the price considering the $9,000 being spent on the superintendent search.

The board capped the price at $12,000.

Earlier in the meeting, Steben had asked McVey if the committee narrowed the scope to reduce costs. McVey said he hadn't but expects the board to do that as the process continues.

"We talked to all of them and said they said 'we are prepared to narrow it down' if required," McVey said.

Students and parents demanded a review of the athletic department after the football team was forced to forfeit three games due to using a player who no longer lived in the district.

The previous board voted 4-3, against the wishes of Superintendent Steve Laatsch, for the review. Laatsch then soon after announced his retirement.

Robertson was Athletic Director at Grand Haven from 2014-23 and serves on the Athletic Director Connection Program Mentor program within the MHSAA.

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