LANSING | A familiar face has returned to fill a vacancy on the Lansing Elementary School District 158 school board.

John Sufie, who served on the board from 1999 to 2007 before declining to run again, has been appointed to the seat left open when Patti Leach resigned Jan. 16.

Leach a retired District 158 physical education teacher, resigned to avoid any possible legal problems that might have resulted since she receives district health benefits.

"We did interviews with six candidates, and Mr. Sufie seemed to have the most experience, the widest knowledge base, and he was just a good fit for the board," Superintendent Veronda Cottle said.

Sufie was sworn in at the board's meeting last month.

An attorney by trade and a Lansing resident since 1989, Sufie has had two children go through the Lansing school system. He thinks his experience with the district will come in handy during a time in which a new Memorial Junior High School is being built at a cost of about $18,500,000.

"I felt with everything that is going on with the building, with the construction, having had the background for about eight years, I felt I would be an asset to help them hit the ground running," Sufie said.

Now that the Memorial project is being completed, the board will turn its attention toward improvements at Calvin Coolidge and Reavis Elementary Schools. Sufie said that whether or not more new schools will be built will depend upon what financing is available and if there are any state matching grants.

Sufie said he plans on running again when the term expires in April 2009.