Board hears interviews from two candidates for vacant Battle Creek Public Schools seat; no vote due to lack of quorum

The Battle Creek Public Schools Board of Education interviewed two candidates for a vacant board seat at its March 23 meeting but did not vote because the meeting lacked a quorum.

Felicia Hayden, who identified herself as a social worker at the Battle Creek VA and a resident since January 2024, told the board she supports integrating academics with social and emotional learning and promoting literacy. "My core philosophy for public education is I believe it should integrate academics, social, and emotional learning, and promote literacy," Hayden said, and she pointed to attendance supports and family-community wraparound services as priorities.

Rashad Clark introduced himself as a former Battle Creek Central graduate, community coach and a parent. Clark emphasized student success and graduation as primary goals: "The core is just making sure that the kids are successful at the end of the day," he said, adding that accountability for teachers and ongoing staff support are critical.

Board members asked a standard set of three questions of each candidate (about educational philosophy, two top factors for student success, and how they would handle disagreement on the board). Both candidates said attendance and staff support are key levers for student achievement. Hayden cited attendance and staffing/professional development; Clark highlighted teacher support and accountability.

Because the board did not have a quorum, trustees agreed they would not take a final vote that night. The president said the board will recommend a candidate to the intermediate school district (CISD) as required "per Michigan law," and trustees discussed holding a brief special one-item meeting during the week to obtain a quorum and make a local recommendation before the CISD acts. The board noted the vacant seat runs through December 2026 and that the seat will be on the November ballot for a four-year term.

Why it matters: Filling a vacant trustee seat affects board composition and the local oversight of district policy and budget decisions. The board’s next procedural steps are to confirm whether a short special meeting can secure quorum or to forward a recommendation to the CISD for final appointment.

What’s next: Trustees tentatively discussed a 15-minute special meeting on a weekday evening to vote if quorum can be obtained; otherwise the board will submit a recommendation to the CISD for appointment. No formal vote or appointment occurred at the March 23 session.