DeWitt Public Schools board elects officers, adopts 2025 schedules and routine governance items

The DeWitt Public Schools Board of Education elected its 2025 officers, approved meeting and work-session schedules, designated bank depositories and authorized routine financial signatories, and adopted a series of policy updates and the 2025–26 high school curriculum guide during its organizational meeting at the district office on West Herbison Road.

The board voted to elect John Tramontana as president, Brad Weaver as vice president, Brad Stoddard as secretary and Dwight Hanspike as treasurer. The roll-call vote on the slate recorded seven affirmative votes: Angelina Barnes, Hannah Carpenter, Dwight Hanspike, Jason Hanselman, Brad Stoddard, John Tramontana and Brad Weaver.

The approvals set the board’s regular monthly meetings to begin at 6 p.m. at the Board of Education office on the second Monday of most months (the motion listed specific dates for January–December 2025, and an organizational meeting on January 12, 2026) and scheduled work sessions on selected dates in April, June, August and November 2025. The board designated the superintendent to post meeting notices and named the administrative assistant to the superintendent and the board secretary as alternates for posting.

On district finance procedures, the board designated PNC Bank, Fifth Third Bank and the Michigan School District Liquid Asset Fund as official depositories for 2025. It authorized signature-card signatories for those accounts to be the superintendent, the assistant superintendent for finance and operations, the board president and the board treasurer for deposits, withdrawals, wire transfers and internal transfers. The board also approved authorization for the superintendent, assistant superintendent for finance and operations and appropriate building administrators to sign checks, contracts, agreements and purchase orders “subject to district policy,” with the assistant superintendent clarifying that building principals may sign purchase orders within their approved budgets but that all checks are issued centrally.

The board approved a resolution delegating authority for administration of district monies, appointed the administrative assistant to the superintendent as recording secretary and recorded that the assistant superintendent for finance and operations would serve as the district’s investment officer per policy 6144 (the agenda originally listed this item as “electronic transfer officer,” which the board corrected to “investment officer”).

On academic and policy matters, the board approved the 2025–26 DeWitt High School curriculum guide and took second-reading action to adopt a package of policy updates. The policies adopted on second reading included (as presented) Policy 3120.08 (employment and personnel for cocurricular/extracurricular activities), 5330.02 (opioid antagonists), 5340 (student accidents), 7230 (gifts, grants and requests), 8321 (criminal justice information security), and a set of finance- and grants-related policies including 6110, 6111, 6112, 6114, 6325 (procurement — added to the agenda during the meeting), 7310 and 7450. The board moved to add policy 6325 to the agenda and approved the full package by voice vote.

Administratively, the board noted an updated 2024–25 continuity of learning plan on the record because of outstanding federal grants; staff said the plan required no changes and that this would likely be the last time the item needed to be on the agenda. The consent agenda — including minutes of the Dec. 9, 2024 regular meeting and the treasurer’s reports and bills for December 2024 — was approved as presented.

Superintendent Kevin Rodatek thanked board members for their service and noted district music program achievements, reporting perfect scores for three choral groups and multiple soloists advancing to state-level competition.

Votes at a glance

- Election of officers (slate: John Tramontana, Brad Weaver, Brad Stoddard, Dwight Hanspike): Passed by roll call; recorded yes votes from Angelina Barnes, Hannah Carpenter, Dwight Hanspike, Jason Hanselman, Brad Stoddard, John Tramontana and Brad Weaver.

- Regular meeting schedule (dates for Jan–Dec 2025, organizational meeting Jan. 12, 2026): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Work session schedule (selected dates April–November 2025): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Designation of superintendent to post meeting notices (administrative assistant and board secretary as alternates): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Official depositories (PNC Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Michigan School District Liquid Asset Fund): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Signature-card authorization (superintendent; assistant superintendent for finance and operations; board president; board treasurer): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Investment officer designation (assistant superintendent for finance and operations per policy 6144): Approved by voice vote after agenda wording correction.

- Authorization for checks/contracts (superintendent; assistant superintendent for finance and operations; appropriate building administrators — clarified as principals with no direct check-writing authority): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Resolution delegating authority for administration of district monies: Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Appointment of recording secretary (administrative assistant to the superintendent): Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- 2024–25 continuity of learning plan update: Discussed and placed on the record; staff reported no changes and no formal vote was recorded on the update during the meeting.

- 2025–26 DeWitt High School curriculum guide: Approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally recorded.

- Second reading and adoption of multiple policies (list above, with Policy 6325 added to the agenda by motion): Approved by voice vote after addition of 6325 to the agenda.

Speakers

- John Tramontana — Board member; elected president (first referenced at 00:12:12). - Brad Weaver — Board member; elected vice president. - Brad Stoddard — Board member; elected secretary. - Dwight Hanspike — Board member; elected treasurer. - Angelina Barnes — Board member. - Hannah Carpenter — Board member. - Jason Hanselman — Board member. - Kevin Rodatek — Superintendent (presenter of curricular and administrative items). - Rob — Assistant superintendent for finance and operations (responded to questions about building administrators and financial signatory practice). - Administrative assistant to the superintendent (recording secretary; the board appointed this staff role as the official recipient of certain communications).

Authorities

- Policy 6144 — referenced in connection with designation of the investment officer (referenced_by: ["investment officer designation"]). - Policies adopted on second reading — referenced individually by policy number in the meeting package (referenced_by: ["policy adoptions"]). Specific policies named in the discussion include 3120.08, 5330.02, 5340, 7230, 8321, 6110, 6111, 6112, 6114, 6325, 7310, 7450.

Actions (formal motions recorded)

- Appointment of board officers — kind: appointment; motion: "appoint John Tramontana as president, Brad Weaver as vice president, Brad Stoddard as secretary, and Dwight Hanspike as treasurer"; mover/second: not specified; vote_record: Angelina Barnes (yes), Hannah Carpenter (yes), Dwight Hanspike (yes), Jason Hanselman (yes), Brad Stoddard (yes), John Tramontana (yes), Brad Weaver (yes); outcome: approved.

- Adoption of regular meeting schedule — kind: other; motion text: "establish regular meetings on the following Mondays begin at 6 PM at Board of Education office" with dates listed for Jan–Dec 2025 and organizational meeting Jan. 12, 2026; mover/second: not specified; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Adoption of work session schedule — kind: other; motion text: "establish work sessions on the following Mondays to begin at 6 PM" with listed dates; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Designation of posting authority for meeting notices — kind: other; motion text: "designate the superintendent to post meeting notices; administrative assistant and board secretary as alternates"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Designation of official depositories — kind: other; motion text: "PNC Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Michigan School District Liquid Asset Fund designated as official depositories for Jan–Dec 2025"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Signature-card authorization — kind: other; motion text: "authorize signatures of superintendent, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, board president and treasurer on signature cards for designated banks"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Investment officer designation (correction from "electronic transfer officer") — kind: other; motion text: "assistant superintendent for finance and operations be designated as investment officer in accordance with policy 6144"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Authorization to sign checks/contracts/purchase orders — kind: other; motion text: "superintendent, assistant superintendent for finance and operations and appropriate building administrators be authorized to sign checks, contracts, agreements and purchase orders subject to district policy"; clarifying note: building principals may sign purchase orders within allowed budgets but do not issue checks; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Resolution delegating authority for administration of district monies — kind: resolution; motion text: "approve the resolution to delegate authority of directing administration of district monies as presented"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Appointment of recording secretary — kind: appointment; motion text: "appoint the administrative assistant to the superintendent as recording secretary and official recipient of DEA, DAA and DESPA communications"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Continuity of learning plan update (2024–25) — kind: other; motion text: presentation/update rather than a discrete motion; outcome: discussed and placed on record; no formal vote recorded.

- Approval of 2025–26 DeWitt High School curriculum guide — kind: other; motion text: "approve the 2025–26 DeWitt High School curriculum guide as presented"; outcome: approved by voice vote.

- Adoption of policies on second reading (including addition of policy 6325 during the meeting) — kind: other; motion text: "adopt the following policies on second reading" with policy list; outcome: approved by voice vote after motion to add Policy 6325 passed.

Clarifying details

- Board office address: 2957 West Herbison Road (location for regular meetings). - Official depositories for 2025: PNC Bank; Fifth Third Bank; Michigan School District Liquid Asset Fund. - Building administrators clarified to mean building principals; principals may sign purchase orders within their budgets but do not write checks; all checks are issued centrally. - Policy number referenced for investment officer assignment: Policy 6144. - Continuity of learning plan: listed as on record because of outstanding federal grants; staff stated no substantive changes and noted this would likely be the final required presentation.

Proper_names

[{"name":"DeWitt Public Schools","type":"organization"},{"name":"Board of Education office","type":"location"},{"name":"PNC Bank","type":"business"},{"name":"Fifth Third Bank","type":"business"},{"name":"Michigan School District Liquid Asset Fund","type":"other"}]

Community_relevance

- Geographies: DeWitt; Clinton County, Michigan. - Funding sources: federal grants referenced in relation to the continuity of learning plan. - Impact groups: students, school staff, and district taxpayers.

Meeting_context

- Engagement level: organizational meeting with full board quorum (seven members present); most items handled by voice vote and routine motions; limited extended debate (clarifying question about scope of "appropriate building administrators"). - Implementation risk: low for administrative and procedural items; policy adoptions and curriculum guide approvals follow normal district procedures. - History: organizational meeting items (officer elections, schedules) are annual; continuity of learning plan was noted as a recurring federal-grants requirement previously addressed in July.

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