Swartz Creek Residents Want School District Transparency

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

Why Board Meetings Matter: Watch What They Do, Not Just What They Say

If you care about this district and want to know how our incumbent board members are really serving our students, don't just listen to what they say on the campaign trail. Pay attention to how they vote and what they say in their current roles during board meetings.

This week's meeting is a perfect example. It ran five hours, and most of that time was spent on internal squabbling and personal attacks. But one moment stood out.

Around the three-hour mark, the board voted on an action item to approve our external support organizations, the PTOs and Athletic Boosters, to operate in the district and raise money for our schools and athletic programs. The motion passed 4-3. The vice president and two trustees voted no.

During the discussion, one board member highlighted what these groups contribute: 50/50 raffles, concessions at games, and fundraisers that bring in money from outside taxpayer funds. Our PTOs have paid for things like new playground equipment and field trips. When playground equipment came up, one of the trustees who voted no responded, Why do we need them to do that? We have bond funds.

• Playground equipment
• Field trips and transportation
• Classroom supplies and library books
• School assemblies, field days, and family events
• Teacher appreciation and staff support
• Team uniforms and athletic equipment
• Travel for away games and tournament fees
• Weight room and field improvements
• Senior nights, banquets, and awards
• Student scholarships
• Building road signage

…and so much more

Or would you rather the district allow PTOs and Boosters to fundraise for these things, freeing up district dollars for teachers, curriculum, facilities, and other priorities that directly support student learning?

This matters in this election. While that trustee has two years left in her term, the vice president who voted no is up for re-election this year, and that trustee's partner is also on the ballot. Had he already been on the board, this motion more than likely would have failed.

Watch the meetings. Look at the votes. Then make your choice.

Agenda: https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asse...

09/29/2026

Bigger point here…Instead of blaming teachers and their union, the school board candidate who posted this rant, his girlfriend who currently sits on the Board of Education, and the other candidates commenting on this post backing his claims and the current board members should be working with teachers to find solutions. The board has spent too much time on internal fights and disputes over gray areas in their own policies and contracts, and not nearly enough on student learning and what teachers need to help kids succeed.

A school board has three core jobs: set policy, hire and oversee the superintendent, and manage the district's finances. Financial oversight matters because it protects taxpayers' money. But oversight isn't the goal. It's a tool, and the goal is to better student learning and success. Every policy, every hire, and every budget decision should come back to one question: will this help our kids succeed? Seems like some of these candidates will just continue the chaos instead of focusing on what matters most, student education.

Of course teachers are going to back candidates who want to work with them instead of against them. That's not a conspiracy. That's common sense.

09/29/2026

This is just gaslighting.

The SC Board does not approve how every dollar is spent and what gets paid to who. Stipends specifically are compensation that is either paid as outlined in the extracurricular employees policy for coaches or in the union contract for the teaching staff. The contract language approved by the board overrides the boards ability to deny these stipend payments. Even for other spending once a budget is adopted by the board, SC board policies give payment authority to the administration.

Board Policy 3205 Disbursements

• Section A says anyone the board has authorized to draw on district funds can sign checks and other payments. The board authorizes the signers once, not each payment.
• Petty cash payments only need approval from the Superintendent or the petty cash custodian, the Executive Director of Business and Finance.
• The board gets involved only after the fact. Petty cash spending is reviewed quarterly with the Treasurer, and anything unlawful or unauthorized is reported to the board.
• The Superintendent or board designee must keep records of every payment and its funding source. That is your paper trail if you want to verify spending.

Board Policy 4110 Reimbursement (staff expenses)

• The district may reimburse staff for actual, necessary, and reasonable work expenses.
• Pre-approval may be required, and it comes from the Superintendent or designee, not the board.
• The Superintendent decides which expenses qualify: registration, travel, meals (no alcohol), lodging, and similar costs.
• The policy doesn't override reimbursement terms in a union contract, employment contract, or handbook.

A stipend is compensation, not a reimbursement, so it is usually set by the union contract or a board-approved pay schedule, or by board policy 4112 for extracurricular positions. Either way, per board policy individual payments still don't need a board vote or approval.

When the board does have to act:

• If spending would exceed the budgeted amount for a category, the budget must be amended by the board under Michigan's budgeting law and policy 3202.

Both policies were adopted by SC on 5/12/2021 and haven't been revised since.