TRAVERSE CITY — Six candidates are running for three open positions on the region’s largest school board.
Two incumbents and four new candidates are hoping to win seats on the Traverse City Area Public School’s Board of Education.
Josey Ballenger and Scott Newman-Bale, ran four years ago on a platform of change and transparency alongside Flournoy Humphreys (who is not running for re-election) after complaints of the then-board’s lack of transparency and lawsuits surrounding the controversial resignation of former Superintendent Ann Cardon.
Over their tenure, the board has created a strategic plan for the district, using community feedback. The plan prioritizes student safety, student mental health, developing strategies and resources to support every student’s success, addressing staffing needs, and updating facilities to optimize learning. Bellanger and Newman-Bale are hoping to continue their work.
Schmidt is a new challenger this year, but not new to community leadership or TCAPS. His website says he is running because he “believes in kids — and community,” and he has worked with kids through TCAPS, Norte, Big Brothers and more.
Husband and wife, Ben and Jenean Layne, and Kurt Hubschneider have been printing their names on shared election materials. Hubschneider said they are not running as a slate, but have similar platforms and they decided to “save some trees” by sharing printed materials.
The Laynes both have experience in education and Hubschneider is an entrepreneur. They are running on a platform that prioritizes the development of academic skills, supporting and equipping educators, advocating for creative learning environments, valuing, representing, and supporting parental input, common-sense decisionmaking, and conservative values.
How do you think the district should respond to conflicts with parents over cultural issues like book bans, religion in classrooms, and LGBTQ+ rights?
Ballenger: “As a public entity, TCAPS must adhere to all applicable federal and state laws, which include religious freedom and protected classes of citizens (students and staff). Like any public school district, TCAPS accepts and supports all students, regardless of demographics or beliefs, so long as the latter don’t infringe on others’ rights. Regarding books, school librarians apply their professional judgment as to what materials are age-appropriate, relevant, and of interest to today’s students. The district also has a process whereby any member of the public can question the appropriateness of materials, and a committee composed of different stakeholders will review the material and make a recommendation.”
Hubschneider: “I feel that acceptance and cultural issues would be resolved by re-introducing God into our schools and modeling as a school board and teachers how to emphasize and practice the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.’ Once this mindset happens, we can then use our resources to create quality education… A culture of acceptance is imperative to the success in any organization… But acceptance does not necessarily mean agreement.” Hubschneider said about book bans, “I believe firmly God does not want sexually explicit books/materials made available to our children nor to our adults. Let’s stop making strange bathroom decisions, and exposing our kids to things that they are not ready for.”
Ben Layne: “Restricting access to items and activities based upon age-appropriateness is common in our society…Restricting materials based upon age-appropriateness is not “book banning” as the material is not being destroyed and access is not being denied to everyone. Materials causing the conflict should be removed from accessibility while it is reviewed by board, district staff, parents, and community for a set period of time. Education not indoctrination. Adults attempting to influence students toward a personally held opinion/belief is indoctrination and has no place in TCAPS schools. This includes religion, social justice/critical race theory, and sexual orientation.”
Jenean Layne: “Parental/community concerns regarding age appropriateness of sexually explicit literature in libraries are not being acknowledged or addressed by the current TCAPS board members. Action: Hold public meetings to review the books in question. Review age guidelines assigned to these books by authors or publishers (if available). Restricting access based on age appropriateness and sexually explicit content is not banning …The goal of TCAPS teachers, staff, and administrators should be to educate students, not indoctrinate them by promoting religious belief (or lack thereof), critical race theory/DEI philosophy, or sex/gender preferences. The rights of students to openly express their religious beliefs must be respected and guarded.”
Newman-Bale: “Generally speaking, much of our policy is dictated by federal and state standards. I think it is in the community’s best interest that TCAPS puts students first and focuses on a safe, harassment-free, environment for all students. In an ideal world, students would be presented with differing and balanced opinions on controversial subjects and taught to use critical-thinking skills to form their own views. As far as book bans go, I do not want our government to decide what we should or should not read.”
Schmidt: “Follow federal and state law. Support free speech and equal rights. Foster open dialogue with parents, teachers, and students. Ensure our schools are inclusive and our building libraries include books that reflect the student population and broader society.”
TCAPS has seen a steady decline in student enrollment for the past 10 years. How do you think the district should respond to this trend?
Ballenger: “Education is an increasingly competitive field – and the only way to attract and retain students (or at least minimize the impact of declining birth rates) is to be the best that we can be. That refers to academic excellence, plus a broad array of enriching activities – sports, arts, STEM, the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program, dual/early enrollment at NMC, extensive Advanced Placement courses, and more – that help our students reach their potential, academically and beyond.”
Hubschneider: “I believe that our school board and our administrators should be painfully aware of the top issues contributing to declining TCAPS enrollment. This decline has been happening consistently since COVID messed with our school system and we made our kids learn remotely. School should not be stressful or cause worry for kids or parents or our teachers. We need to change our mindset and have an Action Plan to deal with those issues. God willing, once elected, we can implement a plan to address and positively affect enrollment.”
Ben Layne: “If decrease is because of population, budget cuts will be in order. Prime concern must be placed on keeping cuts away from classrooms. If parents are withdrawing their children, find out why and then address their concerns. Communicate a willingness to work with the family to encourage continued enrollment. Offer alternative learning opportunities (vocational education, home study, modified schedule).”
Jenean Layne: “The enrollment decrease could be caused by an aging population. If this is the case, budget cuts will need to be considered. If TCAPS student enrollment is dropping because of student transfers, then discovering why they are leaving would be a priority. This type of exodus could reflect back to the first question: parents not being heard when voicing concerns, fear of indoctrination contrary to their families’ belief system, and/or safety concerns (i.e., biological boys in girls bathrooms/locker rooms, bully-free learning environment).”
Newman-Bale: “I believe that we have done a lot to address reasons why people choose a school other than TCAPS. We also are seeing new housing more suitable for families being built in the district. Although population forecasts still project a declining school-age population, I believe we may actually see declines plateauing next year and, hopefully, a reversal of the trend.”
Schmidt: “We’ve had a declining enrollment for six consecutive years (since 2019/20). We’re down 1,112 kids since 2017/18.
This year, we’re projecting to be down 75 kids (2024/25’s projected enrollment is 8,784 – count day was on October 2nd, but I haven’t heard what the actual number is). In 2023, 81% of the total 10,134 students living in the TCAPS district (we lost 13% to charters and 6% to other districts) attended one of our schools. For context, we had a total of 11,098 kids living in the district in 2013 and 85% of them attended a TCAPS school then. Increasing (or at least stopping the decline) our enrollment has to be a bigger focus for our district (we do have a “attract and retain students, leading to sustainable enrollment” goal in our current strategic plan but there is no specific metric mentioned about what success looks like). There are several best practice strategies to help boost enrollment that our school board can influence, including strengthening community engagement, prioritizing safe and modern schools, boosting early childhood programs, targeted marketing campaigns, and improving our district’s culture and climate to attract and retain students.”
What do you think is the biggest issue facing TCAPS and, if elected, how do you hope to address it?
Ballenger: “We must constantly strive to help every single student reach his or her potential academically, graduate from high school on time, and be prepared for college and careers. This is what our students, parents, and local employers desire. Underpinning this is making sure every student gets the support that s/he needs to be successful, that we attract and retain talent in our teachers and other staff, and that we spend our funds efficiently and effectively.”
Hubschneider: “The biggest issue we face in our schools, not just TCAPS, is the removal of God and honoring our country. Solution: Bring back prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to our schools. It shows reverence, respect and pride that many of our kids don’t get to experience.”
Ben Layne: “Keep it about education. Evaluate programs and instruction for educational value: Does it promote/facilitate student learning. Remind those working with students to keep the promotion of personal biases out of interactions with students.”
Jenean Layne: “Accountability to all TCAPS stakeholders: making sure parents/guardians have the opportunity to review and comment on curriculum and materials prior to adoption and/or purchase. Ensuring the district respects the rights of parental authority when making decisions for students. Assessing district policies and programs based upon the needs and opinions of the community, not what will bring in more state/federal money. Representing the voters that elected the board members.”
Newman-Bale: “Our biggest issue at a school board level is budgeting. We have a number of challenges that make planning difficult, including a State budget on a different time cycle than our own, as well as inconsistencies in requirements and funding for those mandates. …To counter the unknowns, we need to prepare for unknown funding changes by maintaining some reserve funds and making our operations as fiscally efficient as possible.”
Schmidt: “Student achievement equity is a critical issue. Our recent study sessions on student achievement revealed a significant gap between economically disadvantaged students (36% of TCAPS kids) and their peers. We know the evidence-based strategies to address this – in 2015, Courtade was one of two Michigan schools to receive the National Title 1 Distinguished School Program award for closing its achievement gap, the last time a TCAPS school earned this distinction. I am committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, have access to the resources and support they need, and I will support the policies and budgets necessary to create a more equitable district so all our kids have the same opportunity to succeed.”
Where do you see the greatest opportunity to improve the educational options and/or outcomes for TCAPS students and what type of action would you like to take to explore that opportunity?
Ballenger: “Taking a hard look at our budget and ensuring that we’re investing in the things that have the greatest impact on student achievement – whether that is through reducing split classrooms, professional development for our teachers, instructional/behavioral coaches, or innovative teaching methods. With the planned renovations to Central Grade School, the district also has an opportunity to explore expanding the TAG program to two locations, one on each side of town, to make it more geographically attractive to more families.”
Hubschneider: “This is a multifaceted question. There are so many “big rocks” to be moved around to effectively solve this. For example, if we have a bunch of kids that are not responding well with the TCAPS curriculum, find a program that makes them want to learn. We have turned our backs on the trades, music, homemaking/life skills, e.g. the lack of marine mechanics in Northern Michigan, the top boating community in the state, and we cannot find a marine mechanic to service our boats. There are so many exciting and promising programs we can fund that I firmly believe would exceed expectations.”
Ben Layne: “Our community is in desperate need of trained tradesmen. Providing an expanded vocational education program to high school students would be beneficial to the students and our community. High school seniors could be given the opportunity to intern with local businesses to learn a trade and earn school credit toward graduation. Also, being allowed to enroll in Northwestern Michigan College certification classes (e.g., automotive technology, HVAC technology, construction technology) could be an option.”
Jenean Layne: “Trade-based instruction is currently minimal. Not all students wish to further their education at a college or university and would like to be able to work at a trade immediately after graduating from high school. Students should have access to classes that teach various trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, construction, automotive, etc.). Cooperation between community tradesmen and the district would be sought out and encouraged. Opportunities to intern, apprentice, and/or shadow with professionals would be provided. Also, high school seniors could concurrently enroll in trades classes offered at NMC.”
Newman-Bale: “I think, over the years, society is changing from a belief that every person should aim for college to one where we understand that there are multiple paths to success for our students. We have to make sure that graduates have the skills necessary to thrive in whatever life path they choose … such paths including athletics, arts, and STEM and … the Career Tech Center. I am excited that all students will now at least have a class in finance that will teach them skills they will need in life regardless of path …Ideally, I would like more opportunities for our children to learn skills they will most definitely all need on a weekly basis.”
Schmidt: “Currently, 42% of our 3rd graders are not proficient in reading with significant gaps between the reading scores of economically disadvantaged students and their peers. On a state level, this gap is around 30 percentage points, and I expect similar challenges in our district. However, we’ve seen these gaps closed before—Courtade did in 2015, and just last week, Traverse Heights, one of our amazing Title 1 schools, was recognized at the district’s curriculum committee meeting for improving its reading proficiency from 22% in 2023 to 34% in 2024. With renewed efforts and targeted interventions, I’m confident we can do a better job of supporting all of our kids, especially those furthest from opportunity. I’ll be a champion for these efforts.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated Sunday Oct. 27 to add responses from Schmidt that weren’t included in the original publication.