It was a clean sweep for school ballot proposals on Tuesday. Five districts were seeking approval for millages and a sinking fund and all were successful.

Clarkston asked voters to consider a non-homestead operating millage renewal, allowing the district to continue levying 18-mills on non-homestead property for 10 years (2026-2035).

It passed by a 17,029 yes to 10,245 no margin.

“We are incredibly grateful for your support in renewing the non-homestead operating millage,” Superintendent Shawn Ryan communicated to district voters. “This renewal means we can continue to provide our students with the resources they need to be well-prepared for a future that excites them and empowers them to believe in their dreams. Your commitment to our schools and community shows the strength of our shared vision for Clarkston’s future.”

The renewal does not affect property taxes on primary residences and qualified agricultural properties, it would only be levied on commercial, industrial, second homes, and rental properties.

The millage comprises approximately $10.2 million or 9% of the district’s operating revenue and allows the district to collect the full per-pupil funding for operating revenues at $1,083 per student.

The funds will be used to pay for staffing, textbooks, classroom supplies and operate the district’s school buildings.

FARMINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

District  voters passed a 10-year operating millage renewal proposal for the district.

It passed 29,588 yes to 16,199 no.

The district’s operating millage expires in December 2025, which means that voters needed to authorize a millage renewal to fund the operating budget of the district beyond the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The renewal will maintain current revenues and tax rates do not change.

Almost 27% of the district’s revenue, or $49.1 million would be generated in 2026.

MADISON SCHOOLS DISTRICT

The narrowest margin for approval was for a Madison schools sinking fund proposal.

The proposal was for a building and site sinking fund that would raise taxes by three mills over 10 years.

Voters approved the measure 2,812 yes (52.88%) to 2,506 no (47.12%)

“On behalf of Madison district public schools, I extend a heartfelt thank you for your overwhelming support in passing the sinking fund proposal,” said Superintendent Patricia Perry. “Your commitment to our schools and students showcases the strength of our community and our shared dedication to providing the best educational experience possible.”

The district will levy an additional $3 per $1,000 of taxable value on homes in the district from Dec. 1, 2024, through Dec. 1, 2034.

The millage will provide estimated revenues of just over one million dollars during the first year. The funds cannot be used for the salaries of teachers, administrators or other district employees.

“With this fund, we can now address critical facility repairs and maintenance needs throughout the district,” Perry said. “This dedicated funding allows us to prioritize the safety and security of our school buildings, creating a safe and supportive environment for our students and staff.”

TROY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Troy voters approved a 20-year renewal (2026-2045) which allows the district to continue to levy the statutory limit of 18 mills on non-homestead property such as  industrial and commercial real property, and residential rental property, and to continue to levy on principal residence property (owner-occupied homes).

The proposal passed 21,861 yes to 12,832 no.

“The passage of the 20-year non-homestead operating millage and the hold harmless millage renewal is a significant win for our district, and we are grateful for the community’s continued support,” said Dan Trudel, assistant superintendent for business services. “These renewals reinforce our ability to plan and implement long-term initiatives that enhance the quality of education in our schools, support our students, and ensure that we continue to meet the world-class standards expected by our community.”

The non-homestead operating millage will generate $32.7 million and the hold harmless millage will generate $9.8 million. It will provide estimated revenues of $42.5 million during the 2026 calendar year, to be used for general operating costs.

In Michigan, a hold harmless millage is a tax school districts can levy on local property owners to fund school operations. The millage allows districts to make up the difference between the state’s maximum allowance and the combined state and local revenue-per-pupil money they previously received.

WALLED LAKE CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS

District voters approved a proposal to replace the current operating millage with an 18-mill non-homestead millage which represents roughly $31 million and a 3.6-mill hold harmless millage, which is $2 million of the district’s budget.

It passed 32,118 yes to 25,173 no.

“On behalf of the Walled Lake schools board of education, administration, and staff, I want to extend my heartfelt thank you for your support in passing our district’s operating millage replacement,”  said Superintendent Michael Lonze  “Your commitment to our schools and students is deeply appreciated, and this critical funding will help us continue to provide the high-quality education our community values.”

The $33 million represents 18% of the district’s $187 million revenue budget.

The non-homestead operating millage will restore the millage rate to the 18-mill limit last approved by voters in 2014 and will run through 2037.

To receive the full per-student funding of $9,608 from the state, schools must levy 18-mills on non-homestead property.

If the proposal was not approved, Walled Lake would lose more than $33 million in operating revenue every year and the state will not make up the shortfall.

 

Four out of five incumbent candidates looking to hold onto their seats on the Rochester Community Schools board did just that on Tuesday.

Incumbents Barb Anness, the board’s vice president; Michelle Bueltel, president; Julie Alspach, treasurer, and Jayson Blake, trustee, were joined by newcomer Shelly Lauzon.

Alspach, Blake and Lauzon were the top three vote-getters in a field of six candidates for the full six-year term.

Anness and Bueltel were the top two finishers in a field of four candidates for the two-year term..

Anness and Bueltel beat Andrew Weather, the only incumbent who did not receive enough votes to stay on the board. Anness received 21,873 votes and Bueltel received 21,626 votes. Weaver finished third for the term ending Dec. 31, 2026 with 20,618 votes. Only the top two candidates earned seats on the board..

“I am truly honored and grateful for the trust our community has placed in me,” said Bueltel,  “I look forward to continuing to serve and work collaboratively with our community, staff, and families to support an inclusive and thriving educational environment. I am confident that together, we will continue making a positive impact for all students in our district.”

Alspach, who was appointed to the board in May 2023, led all 10 candidates with 22,187 votes to earn her first full term on the board.

“I am grateful and humbled by the level of community support I received, both in votes and encouragement throughout the campaign,” she said. “This election reaffirms our community’s belief in the excellence of our schools and our commitment to making them even better. Rochester is my hometown, where I was raised and where my children were raised. I am honored to be chosen to continue serving it.”

Anness was grateful to earn a second term on the board.

“We have so much to be proud of here in the Rochester community school district, and the clear message that retaining four incumbents sends speaks volumes: we will not be swayed by half-truths or the negative narratives pushed by some to undermine our public school district,” Anness said. “The road ahead is bright, and I am inspired by the opportunity to continue serving this incredible community.”

She also welcomed the newest board member.

“I also welcome Shelley Louzan as the newest member of our board,” Anness said. “We look forward to working together with her, embracing a spirit of collaboration, respect, and mutual trust—values that are essential to creating a board that truly works in the best interests of all the students we serve.”

 

With 113,139 votes cast in the race for the full six-year term, Blake earned the last of four board seats beating Richard Kaczanowski by just 49 votes – 19,996 to 19,947.

“I’m very pleased at the results of this election,” said Blake. “The campaign got a little rough near the end, but I look forward to putting that behind and working to serve every student in RCS over the next six years.”

Even though Donley received 12,622 votes, the fewest of any candidates running for the six-year or two-year terms, she intends to continue to contribute her time to the schools.

“I feel honored that almost 13,000 community members voted for me on election day. I wish the outcome was different, but I’m still proud that I ran a truly grassroots, independent campaign on a frugal budget without PAC funds,” said Donley.  ‘I’m looking forward to continuing my advocacy in our community and wish all school board members the best of luck as they lead RCS into the future.”

Rochester school board candidates make their case at forum

Rochester school board election could reshape the district

Rochester school board approves new three-year contract with teachers union

 

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the Licensing Rules for Child Care Center rule set.

The changes set a minimum standard for what child care programs must do to keep children safe, healthy and learning, as MiLEAP and partners across the state work to build a high-quality child care system that is accessible and affordable for all Michigan families.

The proposed changes to the Licensing Rules for Child Care Center rule set reflect feedback gathered during 63 listening sessions from nearly 600 child care educators, community partners and state partners, as well as survey responses from nearly 1,300 people. The proposed changes will affect: health and safety, improve efficiencies and flexibilities, support the child care workforce and introduce new innovation models.

“MiLEAP is committed to ensuring families have access to child care options that meet their unique needs and give their children a safe environment where they can grow and learn,” said Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “As we worked on the review and update of the child care center licensing rules, we prioritized changes that helped expand access to child care while maintaining important standards for quality and safety.”

The public hearing will be held on Tuesday Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m at the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 1st Floor Forum, 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing.

The proposed rules are published on the state’s Administrative Rules website.

The Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) honored Troy School District librarian Christina Chatel and Boulan Park Middle School teacher Michelle Slaviero with the 2024 MASL School Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award.

The award, announced on Oct. 24, celebrates their collaborative efforts, which have enhanced the educational environment within the Troy school district and serve as an example of the crucial role school libraries play in student success.

Chatel and Slaviero were recognized for their work on the Genius Hour and Michigan History Day Passion Projects with Boulan Park Middle School 8th-grade students. The student-centered projects promote deep learning, offering extensive opportunities for students to utilize the library for research and practice using citations in their work.

“I have enjoyed collaborating with Michelle for the past ten years and helping her bring Genius Hour into her classroom through the Michigan History Day project,” said Chatel. “I’m honored that MASL is recognizing our partnership as one of the best school librarian-teacher collaborations in the state this year.”

“It’s such an honor to be recognized alongside a colleague as creative and knowledgeable as Christina,” Slaviero said. “Our collaboration benefits our students immensely and shows them how essential teamwork is in delivering rigorous 21st-century learning.”

 

Americans love Halloween. Or should we say, Americans love to spend money for Halloween. The National Retail Federation estimates that in 2024 collectively we’ll spend $3.8 billion on decorations, $3.8 billion on costumes, $3.5 billion on candy and sweets, and a paltry $500 million on greeting cards.

With all that cash flowing, where do those decorations end up? Likely in your neighbors’ yards (and if you are honest, maybe in yours, too).

So who is going all out this year? We sent our reporters into Oakland County’s neighborhoods to find out, and here’s what they found.

ROYAL OAK

“I get a little carried away,” said Dennis Murphy of Royal Oak, describing his Halloween display on Maplegrove Avenue, in the area of Woodward and Catalpa.

Skeletons are crawling up the front of the house. The yard is filled with zombie babies and other figures. Six projectors create spooky videos on the windows and walls of the home.

Murphy makes some of the items in the display himself, using windshield wiper motors and PVC pipe.

He started doing the displays about 25 years ago when his children were young. His daughter, Mackay, now helps him put it all together.

“Every year we add something new,” he said. “I’m running out of room.”

He’s motivated to keep doing the displays by people who come back every year and tell him how much they love it.

Every year, he and his wife, Lori, give out full-size candy bars to trick-or-treaters.

They’ve given away as many as 250 bars in one Halloween. Last year, even with inclement weather, they had about 150 trick-or-treaters.

— Anne Runkle

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WATERFORD TOWNSHIP

For 31 years Victoria and Steve Fage have used lights, beads, gargoyles, a host of skeletons and other props to decorate the two yards they own on Lochaven Road for Halloween.

The Lochaven Haunted Halloween House in Waterford Township has its own black-and-orange sign. Visitors walking through the displays will find spots, like an old hearse in one spot and airplane seats in another where they “can sit and have their own Kodak moment with a selfie,” Steve said.

There’s enough space for multiple themes and what he calls “moving art-in-progress.”

Victoria Fage, 52, said they started with Halloween backyard parties and used a display so guests could find their house. In those days, the street was a dirt road. Now it’s paved and more people stop by. Some friends dress up to gently scare visitors.

“We don’t like to scare the little kids because then they don’t want to come back,” Steve said. “But we see everyone from infants to 90-year-olds.”

They also see people who visited as children and are bringing their own children to experience the fun.

Steve, 57, said it’s best to come just before dusk so little ones can see displays light up as the sun sets.

They plan the display’s footprint each September and spend three weeks in October setting it up. This year’s show includes 1,000 feet of fence and $500 worth of corn stalks and straw.

It’s free to visit; a donation box is used to support a different charity each year, Victoria said.

Steve sums up the reasons they decorate every year: “Passion, smiles, happy people.”

— Peg McNichol

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CLARKSTON

For Brandon Guelde and his wife, Brenda, it started with one Halloween skeleton and grew from there.

The couple had purchased Brandon’s grandmother’s house on Church Street near Buffalo Street in Clarkston in May 2023 and he spotted a “giant pumpkin guy” online and wanted to put it up in the yard.

“My wife said, ‘If you get the orange pumpkin guy, you have to go all out,’ ” said Guelde. “So it was a done deal and I went from there.”

Eighteen months later for his second Halloween, Guelde has a yard filled with gargoyles, cornstalks, spiderwebs and headstones, with giant pumpkin guy at the center of it all.

This year he added remote sensor lighting, spotlights and a witch on the roof for the full Halloween effect.

Guelde has filled out his entire front yard, porch and roof with the decorations over two weekends and has received rave reviews from both young and old alike.

“The word got out in my daughter’s kindergarten class about what we put up and (the kids) asked their parents to drive by and check it out and they loved it,” said Guelde. “Neighbors and people just walking by said they love what we have done.”

Although his grandmother, Geraldine Sawyer, has not seen in person what Brandon has transformed her former home into, she has seen pictures.

“He has sent me several pictures of it and it looks fantastic and he absolutely loves doing it,” said Sawyer. “Brenda does the front porch and it is a joint project and they love doing it.”

Guelde, a mechanical engineer, estimated he has spent over $2,000 on decorations so far and he is not done yet.

“I want to put a zip line in and have a ghost flying back and forth from the house to the tree out front and I have a few other ideas I am working on,” he said. “It is just a fun thing to do every year.”

For Guelde, the work that goes into transforming his property every year is worth it.

“I get a ton of enjoyment out of how much enjoyment other people get,” said Brandon.

— Matt Fahr

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COMMERCE TOWNSHIP

Check out Chateau Road off Benstein Road in Commerce Township for an extraordinary Halloween display.

The massive creation of homeowner Jeff Leininger — covering his front and side yards — is an eclectic showing of all things ghoulish to celebrate the spooky season.

“I like making things,” Leininger said. “I do it for my own pleasure” noting that the display has been growing year-by-year since he and his family moved into the home in 1998.

If people get a kick out of it, that makes it even better, he said.

Many of the elements are animated by windshield wiper motors, including a creepy girl on a swing, a vomiting ghoul, a corpse-like creature that seemingly springs to life on a stretcher, and another who meets his fate in an “electric” chair.”

There are also skeletons galore, skulls, a massive, hairy spider with a spiderling-filled web, a giant werewolf, a tomb-filled cemetery, and a “toxic waste” site among many others. One of the ghouls is adorned with real human hair, donated to Leininger by his brother who shaved his head in support of a loved one’s fight with cancer.

Beth, his wife, helps find ideas for display and always gifts him with something Halloween-themed for their wedding anniversary which is in early October, he said.

Leininger, a lieutenant and firefighter/paramedic with the Commerce Township Fire Department, estimates he’s spent around $3,000 on materials and countless hours so far to build his extravaganza.

Each year it takes about a week to set it all up — which he typically starts on Oct. 1. Nov. 1 is tear down day. After a drying out period in the garage, Leinenger stores it all in various spots — an attic garage, his basement, a treehouse fort from his kids’ childhood days many years ago, and a shed.

“(Storage) was full last year, and since I added three more things this year, it could be a problem… I’ll probably have to build another shed,” he said.

— Aileen Wingblad

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OTHERS

FARMINGTON HILLS

Simone Elatab was outside her home on Rutgers Drive, in the area of Nine Mile and Haggerty roads in Farmington Hills, when she heard someone laughing. It turns out that neighborhood children were taking photos of her elaborate Halloween display, highlighted by a family of skeletons sitting around a bonfire in a cemetery. “It just makes me happy,” she said. “I love Halloween. I’ve been doing this for years. Nobody on the street decorates. It’s sad. So I just figured, go big or go home.”

— Anne Runkle

FARMINGTON HILLS

Tracy Collins of Farmington Hills spends about a week on the Halloween decorations outside her home on Middlebelt Road between 10 Mile and 11 Mile roads in Farmington Hills. It draws a lot of attention from students at the nearby East Middle School. “I like when kids come to trick-or-treat and it makes them happy,” she said. Collins has acquired Halloween decorations over the past 10 years, The city of St. Clair Shores awarded her display at a previous home. This will be her third Halloween in Farmington Hills. Hundreds of lights outline the house. Whimsical inflatable characters – taller than the house – occupy the lawn. It won’t be long before her husband, Rob, will spend two to three weeks putting up their Christmas display.

— Anne Runkle

FARMINGTON HILLS

A large, black Grim Reaper forms an arch over the path that leads to the front door of the Menzel home on Brandywine Road, in the area of Farmington Road and 12 Mile Road in Farmington Hills. The reaper is joined by large, inflatable monsters and other creatures on the front lawn. “Neighborhood kids come by; they’re always so excited,” Jessica Menzel said. The Menzels’ own children, ages 8 and 11, also find joy in the display, she said.

— Anne Runkle

ROCHESTER

For the house on University Drive just east of the Henry Ford Health Rochester Hospital, one homeowner has adjusted his set of giant skeletons with Detroit Lions jerseys to celebrate the team’s recent successes. Over the years, this home has been a highlight of the Halloween season, with 2023 featuring an assortment of giant clown skeletons.

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OTHER READER FAVORITES

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP
The Crypt, 4060 Quillen Ave., east of Seebaldt Avenue.
Baybrook Haunted Cemetery, 3650 Baybrook Drive, between Watkins Lake Road and Terness Avenue.

Waterford has narrowed the field to two candidates for their open superintendent position.

The pair are scheduled for community meet and greets prior to their interviews on Monday Oct. 28

Matt Wandrie – superintendent, Lapeer Community Schools:
4 p.m. Meet & greet
6 p.m. Second interview
Thomas Ahart – consultant, former superintendent, Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa:
5 p.m. Meet & greet
7:15 p.m. Second interview

Both the interviews and community meetings will be held at the Crary Campus, 501 N. Cass Lake Road.

Community members will be able to  fill out feedback forms after each interview. The feedback will be presented to the board.

Superintendent Scott Lindberg announced earlier this year he is leaving the district on Dec. 31 after five years.

Interviews will also be live-streamed and available for replay on the WSD YouTube Channel @wsdnews.

There is more than meets the eye in a one-sentence ballot proposal about the Clarkston Historic District Commission.

The language on the ballot reads: “Should the city charter be amended by adding a new Chapter XVI to apply requirements to the Historic District Commission (HDC), more clearly specify the commission’s authority and procedures, and provide controls for commission expenditures and enforcement actions?”

The proposal, which was authored by Clarkston residents Richard and Susan Bisio, is actually a four-page, 5,300 word, 13-section “chapter” that would become a permanent addition to the city charter is approved.

“We think there should be clearer specifications and limits on what the Clarkston Historic District Commission can regulate and how it can spend citizens’ tax dollars,” Bisio wrote about the proposal on her personal blog. “Citizens for a Sensible Historic District Commission is petitioning for a charter amendment that would do that.”

City Council member Peg Roth gave a more simple explanation behind the proposal.

“Basically it says that the HDC needs to curb their way of dealing with people and they need to be more considerate,” she said.

Commission member Lisa Patercsak sees it differently.

“It would turn the control of the … commission to the city council,” said Patercsak. “They want the city council to have control over the historic district and all of the authorities over any actions in the district instead of the commission which has been in place for over 50 years.”

The commission is composed of five Clarkston volunteers who review applications and approve or deny exterior changes to structures to safeguard local heritage. The district includes over 100 structures in the half- square-mile city of Clarkston.

The commission is currently governed by the state Local Historic Districts Act (LHDA) that also applies to 82 other historic districts.

According to George Elworth, assistant attorney general of the state operations division, the proposed amendment conflicts with the LHDA and violates state law.

“A review of the terms of the proposed Chapter XVI discloses that they are in conflict with the provisions of the Local Historic District Act in that they seek to rewrite the city’s current historic district ordinance,” Elworth wrote in a letter to city attorney Thomas Ryan and city Clerk Cathrine Ashley on July 30.

He added, “the ballot language is not accurate because it does not disclose that the

proposed amendment is contrary to the Local Historic Districts Act.”

Ryan said that even though Elworth pointed out issues both in the language on the ballot and the body of the Chapter XVI amendment, there is no requirement to remove the proposal from the ballot or clarify the language. The response from the Attorney General’s office is only an opinion.

“Even though the governor and/or the attorney general believes it is not lawful, it still has to go on the ballot to be voted on by voters and gets sorted out after that if it passes,” said Ryan. “It still has to go to the voters.”

Among the list of how the commission would be altered, according to the amendment:

Providing budgetary oversight of the commission by the city council;
Introducing requirements to become a commission member;
Giving council final approval of commission policies and procedures;
Giving the council authority over all commission matters;
Require restoration or modification only with the approval of the city council;
The commission cannot not consult with the city attorney, planning firm, building department, engineering firm or assessment contractor without city approval;

Other than Depot Park, there is no open space in the historic district the commission may regulate.
Chapter XVI supersedes and repeals provisions of the Historic District Ordinance (currently in the city charter) that conflict with or are inconsistent with the proposed additional chapter.

Susan Bisio explained the motive behind the ballot initiative.

“Our proposal was prompted by the HDC’s April request to the council for the ability to issue civil infractions and fine people up to $5,000 for purported rule violations,” she said in an email to the Oakland Press. “This was enough of an impetus to tackle a problem that’s been discussed for years in the community and to offer our Clarkston neighbors the opportunity to vote on putting more city council control over the HDC.”

At a Sept. 23 special meeting, council member Ted Quisenberry voiced his opinion on the proposal as a resident in the historic district.

“I am emphatically against the proposal. I confirm my unwavering support for the Historic District Commission,” Quisenberry said from the podium and not the board table. “I would welcome any citizen in that community that has a problem with any issue they have with the historic district, planning, zoning, anything, bring it forth, present it to us and we can take action.”

“Even if it is not specifically written in this very lengthy charter amendment, it will destroy the historic district. What you see out there now will no longer exist,” Clarkston resident Cara Catallo said at the meeting.

For the full text of the Chapter XVI amendment: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=d682dda108&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1809467943362426703&th=191c8581ec92f74f&view=att&disp=inline

The majority of candidates running for the Oxford school board opted not to appear at a forum held by the League of Women Voters.

Five of the eight candidates running for four-year and two-year terms were not present at the Oxford Township Hall on Thursday night.

Mike Aldred, Sara Beth Campagiorni, Angela Euashka and Christopher Zitny, all running for the three four-year team seats, were not at the forum.

Rich Schneider, who is running against Ann Acheson for the lone two-year term, also skipped the forum.

Only Zitny and Campagiorni sent statements to be read by moderator Christine Allen.

Shane Gibson, Randall Kreger, Acheson and write-in candidate and current board President Erin Reis were on hand to take questions from the audience.

Reis said recent changes in her employment allowed her to change her mind and run for another four-year term as a write-in candidate.

“Now that I have the ability to stay four years I am hoping that the community will write me in and keep me for four more years,” said Reis.

The four candidates were asked questions covering safety concerns, social and emotional learning curriculum, student diversity and if any of them supported reopening the investigation into the November 2021 shooting at Oxford High School.

In a resolution unanimously passed 6-0 in August, the board asked for a state funded review of how emergency responders and the district responded on the day of the shooting. They also asked for investigators to have subpoena power, additional funding for student and mental health safety and to enact House Bill 5549, which requires suicide and threat assessment to be a part of every emergency operations plan and threat assessment training.

The four were unanimous in their feeling that reopening the investigation or having the district spend any more money on it would be fruitless.

“I’ve spoken with a lot of people within the district, folks that work within the schools and they really stressed the trauma that it would cause to go through another investigation and rehash a lot of the information,” said Gibson.

“A lot of people have already given their depositions and to have them go through this again would be more negative than positive because the information that is already out there is open to us,” said Kreger.

“If the state were to come in and form a commission to look into the emergency response, that would be beneficial,” said Acheson. “As to spending any school dollars, absolutely not. I don’t think it is appropriate for the district to take on any more of that cost.”

There are no more forums scheduled for the candidates before the Nov. 5 election.