Novi school-board candidates debate safety, mental health, curriculum ahead of Nov. 5 election

On Oct. 7, 2024, three candidates seeking two six-year seats on the Novi Community School Board debated priorities ranging from school safety and student mental health to curriculum oversight and equity at a League of Women Voters Oakland Area forum in Novi.

The forum, moderated by Cindy Peltonen of the League, featured incumbent trustee Tom Smith, current board treasurer Mary Anne Roney and parent volunteer Jamie Klebert. Moderated questions covered civic education, partisan involvement in a nonpartisan office, improvements the district should pursue, strategies for minority student success, and how the board should approach curricular concerns and book challenges.

Why it matters: Voters will choose two members to oversee the Novi Community School District — which serves about 7,000 students, candidates noted — and the board sets policy on safety, curriculum and proposed facilities projects including a planned wellness center. Those decisions affect budgeting, hiring and student supports for years to come.

Positions and highlights

School safety and mental health: Incumbent trustee Tom Smith said the district has invested heavily in physical safety measures and resource officers and described mental-health supports as equally critical. “I think we’re up to around $5,000,000 that we’ve spent on safety measures for the kids in this district,” Smith said. He also described the planned wellness center as a priority. Roney highlighted school procedures such as the district’s Raptor visitor-check system and door-blocking lockdown measures and said resource officers and a recently hired security specialist are part of safety planning. Klebert said the board should consult safety experts and praised cooperative relationships with the Novi Police Department.

Student mental health and programs: All three candidates emphasized mental-health services. Smith described personal family experience motivating his advocacy and noted fundraising through Friends of Novi Schools; Roney and Klebert highlighted the district’s wellness-center plans and said recent policies (including a new cell-phone policy) have improved classroom engagement.

Equity and achievement gaps: Candidates acknowledged persistent disparities. Roney pointed to targeted tutoring and a new K–4 literacy program as steps to help historically underperforming groups. Smith said the district faces distinct challenges for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and Black students, and stressed recruiting more diverse teachers. Klebert emphasized that students perform better when they feel seen and recommended inclusive materials and diverse speakers.

Curriculum and books: All three candidates said they do not support book banning and emphasized the role of district professionals in selecting materials. Smith said the board’s role is to supervise the superintendent, not to pick library books; Klebert and Roney said the district has processes for parents to request reconsideration or grade-level adjustments.

Parental role and nonpartisanship: Candidates generally said parents should be involved and may review reading lists, but curriculum choices should largely remain with trained educators and the superintendent’s cabinet. On political endorsements, each candidate said the school-board role should be nonpartisan; Roney noted she received some unsolicited party endorsements, while Smith and Klebert said they had not sought party support.

Campaign context and next steps: The League reminded attendees that absentee ballots had been mailed, early voting runs through Nov. 3 and in-person voting is Nov. 5. Voters can find nonpartisan candidate information at vote411.org and the League’s website for forum video when available.

The forum closed with one-minute statements from each candidate and a final reminder about voting resources.