Battle Creek Public Schools board appoints Felicia Hayden to fill vacancy
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Summary
At a March 25, 2026 special work session, the Battle Creek Public Schools Board of Education appointed Felicia Hayden to a board vacancy after a roll call that produced four recorded 'yes' votes; the transcript records discussion of two candidates and encourages the appointee to run in November's election.
The Battle Creek Public Schools Board of Education appointed Felicia Hayden to a vacant seat at a special work session on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, after the board recorded four "yes" votes on the motion to appoint.
The chair summarized the interview questions used for both candidates and highlighted the board’s priorities in choosing an appointee. Trustee Grajak said both candidates "gave great interviews," noting one candidate emphasized literacy and attendance and shared social-work and therapy experience while the other, Richard Clark, stressed accountability and follow-through.
The chair described the appointment procedure and the threshold required, saying, "four votes gets the position," before the board moved to a roll-call vote. The transcript records the motion to appoint (mover recorded as Trustee Perry and supported by Trustee McClenny) and the chair later announced, "So Felicia Hayden will be our next appointee then."
Superintendent Kamens thanked the candidates and encouraged continued engagement, saying, "I just wanna personally thank you for your interest, and I hope that you will run in November. There are four seats open in November, and so there's an opportunity to run." The superintendent’s remarks framed the appointment as an interim step ahead of the regular election.
Board members who spoke during discussion expressed appreciation for both applicants and urged community members to consider running in the November election. A brief fundraising report and a reminder about the upcoming STEM showcase concluded board comments.
The appointment was announced at the meeting; the transcript records four recorded "yes" votes and the chair's declaration of appointment. The roll-call exchange in the transcript does not clearly capture every individual vote for all members; the board chair announced the tally as four yes votes and declared the appointment approved. The board did not take additional action on the item at the meeting.
