Voters Tuesday chose to return just two of the incumbent Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education to the panel.
One of them was Maria Sheler-Edwards, who says the district needs to "stay the course."
“We put some great programs in place,” Sheler-Edwards says, “we have a balanced budget this year, and we need to make sure that we continue being financially responsible, bring up our achievement and stabilize our enrollment.”
Sheler-Edwards won election to a six-year term on the board, as did Brenda Meadows. Winning four-year terms were incumbent Celeste Hawkins, former Ypsilanti board member Ellen Champagne, and former Ypsilanti Human Resources Director Sharon Irvine.
When Ypsilanti Community Schools was first created, teachers and support staff wanted Irvine to be its first Superintendent. The board instead named Ypsilanti Superintendent Dedrick Martin and Willow Run Superintendent Laura Lisiscki associate Superintendents under Scott Menzel, Superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.
Irvine says the district needs to look at its hiring practices, and figure out why employees are leaving the district at what she describes as an alarming rate.
“And that’s something that we need to get a handle on,” Irvine says. “Part of building a strong district is making sure that we have the staff that we need to make a difference in our kids’ lives.”
Irvine says that’s one of the things the district needs to have a really quick response on.
Meredith Schindler and Sharon Lee won election to two-year terms on the Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education.
Tuesday's election was the first since the district was created by the consolidation of Ypsilanti and Willow Run schools.
The original board members were appointed by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District Board of Education.