Schools superintendent brought stability despite budget cuts

Hamtramck Public Schools Superintendent Tom Niczay will be missed.

He’s not gone now, but in a year, he will be retiring. Niczay dropped the news of his coming retirement at the last school board meeting. He said that after 38 years of being in the education field (the last five of which as superintendent), it is time to go.

That is a long, long time to devote to the district, especially one as challenging as Hamtramck.

Niczay has been a favorite of students and parents for decades. That’s because he sincerely cares about people. He took the superintendent job after a series of failures with preceding superintendents.

Niczay was a breath of fresh air, and he helped bring about stability. Unfortunately, it has not been smooth sailing for the district.

State revenue money has been slashed in recent years, and the district continued to lose students to competing charter academies in the area.

But under Niczay’s leadership, the district reduced a $4.9 million budget deficit to $3.7 million in the last year.

Niczay is not just about numbers. He was – and is – the heart and soul of the district. The school board is going to have a hard time finding a suitable replacement – even with a year’s notice to begin the search.

Hamtramck is losing a cherished advocate in education. We wish Niczay a long and healthy retirement. He deserves it.