School board hires new Rib Lake school adminstrator 
by Donald Watson
The Star News
January 21, 2010 —  Following a closed door session at its January 14 meeting, the Rib Lake School Board voted to hire Lawrence Black of Lac du Flambeau as new part-time district administrator to replace Jeff Tortomasi, who is retiring in June.
The board signed Black to a two-year, no benefits contract beginning July 1. His salary will be $77,500 for the first year and $80,000 for the second year.
Black served as district administrator for the Wisconsin Heights School District in Mazomanie from 2004-2008, retiring in 2008. Since then, he and his wife have cared for elderly parents, worked on their northern Wisconsin cabin, spent time with family and friends, and traveled extensively.
In his resume to the board, Black wrote, “I am ready to return to school administration, and as an active, energetic 58-year-old, I have several years of service to offer to your district and school community.”
Among his major accomplishments at Wisconsin Heights, Black lists making student achievement the highest district priority, including reading development, data analysis, MAP testing, curriculum mapping, benchmarking, and success for struggling students; developed and implemented a long-range budget planning process following fiscal projection studies; and conducted community priorities surveys and used the results to guide decisions regarding programs, budget and facilities. He lists his administrative strengths as children come first, personnel selection, communications, vision, planning, organization, problem-solving, conflict resolution and sense of humor.
Prior to serving as administrator at Wisconsin Heights, Black was principal at Big Foot Union High School in Walworth from 1996 to 2004 and Madison Edgewood High School in Madison from 1991-1996. He also served as assistant principal at Wisconsin Dells High School from 1988 to 1991 and Sauk Prairie High School in Prairie du Sac from 1987-1988. Black was a teacher, coach and advisor at Wisconsin Dells High School from 1977 to 1987.
Black is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in history and journalism in 1976, Masters of Science degree in education administration in 1987 and a Specialist in Education Administration degree in 2004. He did his post-graduate work in education administration at Viterbo University in La Crosse from 2004-2008.
Black served on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Heights Education Foundation (2004-2008) and the Wisconsin Heights Optimist Club (2005-2008), and the WIAA advisory Council from 1998-2001. He has been a member of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (2004-2008) and Association of Wisconsin School Adminstrators (1987-2004). Black was a guest lecturer for the UW-Whitewater and Cardinal Stritch University education departments from 2000-2003. He holds five-year (2009-2014) superintendent and principal licenses and lifetime teaching license in journalism and history. Black’s interests include family, exercise, travel, camping, fishing, reading, music and sports. His wife is a registered nurse and they have two adult children and one grandson.
The district received eight applications for the administrator position. Following a closed-door session at a special meeting on January 12, the list was narrowed to three finalist — Black, Jeff Reeder of Florence, and Randall Stanke of Roseville, Minn.

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