East Lansing board approves banking depositories, hires new counselor and authorizes district check signers

The East Lansing Board of Education approved several routine but actionable items at its Jan. 27 meeting, voting unanimously to designate district depositories, hire a new school counselor and authorize which district positions may sign checks.

The board approved listing Comerica Bank, Huntington National Bank and the Michigan Liquid Asset Fund among authorized banks where district funds may be deposited. That motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.

The board also approved the hiring of Luke Smith as a 1.0 FTE school counselor at East Lansing High School, at MA Step 6, with an effective date of Feb. 17, 2025. After the vote, Smith introduced himself: "I am Luke Smith ... I'm super excited and happy that I did." He said he currently works at St. John's Middle School and is looking forward to the high-school experience.

Separately, the board authorized the following positions to be check signers: Board of Education Treasurer, Superintendent, and Director of Finance and Operations. That motion also passed unanimously.

Votes and procedure: Each of the motions was moved, seconded and carried unanimously by voice vote. Where a roll call was taken earlier in the meeting, seven trustees were recorded present for votes (Dr. Edel, Miss Ferris Highland, Dr. Chambers, Dr. Torres, Miss Taaki, Miss L and Chair Martin); the board recorded motions as carrying unanimously.

What this means: The actions are procedural but necessary for district operations — authorizing banking relationships and signatories enables financial transactions, while the new counseling hire adds staff capacity at the high school. No contingencies or additional funding approvals were discussed during the meeting.