Breitung Township Schools Superintendent Aaron Yonke works on his new program, Coffee with the Superintendent. The first gathering will be 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday at 51st State in Kingsford. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)

KINGSFORD — Breitung Township Schools will be have monthly Coffee with the Superintendent events at local businesses, with the first set for 8 to 9 a.m. Thursday at 51st State in Kingsford.

Superintendent Aaron Yonke, who took over the job in June, said he got the idea while working at a school district in Wisconsin.

“We had something similar in my old school district at Howard-Suamico,” he said.

“The whole goal is to engage with the community and have an opportunity for folks in the Breitung Township to come, if they have questions or concerns,” Yonke said. “I’m old fashioned. I like to meet one-on-one with a person. That’s the whole goal.”

He has set the fourth Thursday of the month for the events, unless there’s a holiday, at different businesses. The second will be Oct. 23 at Moose Jackson Cafe in Iron Mountain and the third is tentatively set at Holiday Kitchen.

“I’ve reached out to several other businesses, but I’m waiting to hear back. I don’t want to impose on them. If this goes really well, we’ll make this a standing thing,” he said. “I don’t want this to slide under the radar.”

The goal is to have conversations and if something is bothering community members, they can come to the source, he said

Yonke believes what’s good for the school districts in the area is good for the community and vice versa.

“We want to be in tune with the community because they’re entrusting us with their most precious resource. We want to make sure we’re in step with what the community wants for a quality education,” he said.

He considers it part of his job to be an advocate and “head cheerleader” for the district.

“I’m excited to have conversations. I’m a people person, I like to talk, and hopefully improve that community engagement. I think it’s very important as a building administrator, My role as an administration is to engage with the community and find the pulse of the community,” he said

Getting information about school out to the community is also a goal. Some people aren’t on social media and that is one of the challenges.

“It’s an opportunity to get myself known in the community and foster that relationship, that personal connection. Let’s see if anyone shows up,” he said.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.