Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kalkaska Public Schools Board seats new member, approves tax-collection resolution and routine district items
Summary
At its Oct. 21 meeting, the Kalkaska Public Schools Board of Education voted to seat Chase Stevenson to a board vacancy and approved the district's 2025 tax-collection resolution, an April 2025 Washington, D.C., student trip, donations for a KHS Victory Bell, participation in the MISEC Electric Choice Program and middle school handbook changes.
Rachael Birgy, board chair, called the Kalkaska Public Schools Board of Education to order at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Kalkaska Public School.
The Board voted to seat Chase Stevenson to fill the remainder of a board term through Dec. 31, 2026. The motion to seat Stevenson was made by Wendy Watson and supported by Mary Scobey; the minutes record the motion as carried (5 to 0). The Board had scheduled interviews earlier in the evening for three candidates: Chase Stevenson, Anthony Floreno and Jeff DiRosa.
Board members approved the consent agenda, which included the minutes of the Sept. 16, 2024 meeting, payment of general, bond and athletic fund bills, and the hiring of staff pending cleared background checks. Personnel hires recorded in the minutes include Andy Braton as 8th-grade boys basketball coach and Eric Wilde as varsity boys basketball assistant coach. The consent-agenda motion was recorded as carried 6 to 0.
Superintendent Rick Heitmeyer presented routine updates, including scheduled November tours, Food Service Appreciation Week (Oct. 14–18), recognition of National Principal's Month and board member years-of-service acknowledgments. Laura Gehman, principal at Rapid City Elementary, recognized members of the Rapid City Cross Country running club earlier in the meeting. Vice Principal Aaron Ostrander provided the district safety update listed on the agenda.
In action items, the Board approved several routine resolutions and agreements by recorded motion:
Votes at a glance
- 2025 tax-collection resolution: Motion by Mary Scobey, supported by Regan Foerster; adopted as presented. The minutes record the motion as carried 6 to 0.
- Overnight Washington, D.C., trip (April 2–6, 2025): Motion by Steve Ordway, supported by Wendy Watson; approved. Mr. Doug Brown is named as the KPS staff member in charge. Motion carried 6 to 0.
- Acceptance of donations for the Kalkaska High School Victory Bell: Motion by Wendy Watson, supported by Steve Ordway; accepted two donations exceeding the $1,000 approval threshold. Motion carried 6 to 0.
- Michigan Schools Energy Cooperative (MISEC) Electric Choice Program agreement: Motion by Regan Foerster, supported by Steve Ordway; approved as presented. Motion carried 6 to 0.
- Kalkaska Middle School handbook changes: Motion by Regan Foerster, supported by Mary Scobey; approved as presented. Motion carried 6 to 0.
The Board adjourned at 6:48 p.m. after a motion by Wendy Watson, supported by Steve Ordway, which the minutes record as carried 6 to 0.
This meeting consisted primarily of routine governance actions, including appointments, approvals of contracts and program participation, personnel confirmations and acknowledgments. No formal controversies, dissenting votes or public-comment particulars are recorded in the meeting minutes.
Next procedural steps: the minutes record adopted motions and appointments; further follow-up (implementation dates, contract execution or detailed policy changes) are not specified in the minutes and would be handled by district staff per usual procedures.
