Challengers elected to Eastpointe school board as Gruenberg loses seat

EASTPOINTE/ROSEVILLE — After serving on the Eastpointe Community Schools Board of Education for almost 22 years, Jon Gruenberg was defeated in the school board election Nov. 5, according to the Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office.

Five candidates ran for four four-year terms. Newcomer Darlene Whitby was the top vote-getter with 8,558 votes. Challenger Shelly Cioppa was the second-highest vote-getter garnering 8,026 votes.

Incumbents Edward Williams and Robert Roscoe were reelected to the Eastpointe Community Schools Board of Education with 6,789 and 6,282 votes, respectively. Gruenberg received 5,391 votes, failing to get reelected. Current Trustee Mary Hall-Rayford did not seek reelection. Other current board members are Trustee Addie Richardson and Gruenberg’s wife, Trustee Cassie Gruenberg.

Whitby said she was “very, very happy” to be elected to the school board.

“I’m excited to get on the ground running. We’re going to have a fresh start. Can’t wait to see what happens this year,” she said. “My goal is to get more children coming into the Eastpointe schools, get the test scores up and have open dialogue between the students and the parents.”

Cioppa provided a statement via email on the election results.

“I am, frankly, amazed that I won this election. I was just as amazed that the one board member with over 20 years in service was bumped out by our community,” Cioppa said. “I so respect and appreciate the years and dedication Jon Gruenberg put into this district and I never imagined my running for this office (would) unseat him. I would have been happy just to fill the open seat left by Mary Hall-Rayford’s exit.

“I suspect our community wants new blood in these seats considering my running mate, Darlene Whitby, and I received a much higher vote than the incumbents,” Cioppa said. “I have only met Darlene Whitby once, but I pray that she and I can shake some life into this district, with the help of the remaining board members. I think we can go far with Dr. (Chineva) Early’s, Robert Rosco’s, Edward Williams’, and Addie Richardson’s leadership and instruction. I am excited to serve next to such stewards of our community.”

Despite the election outcome, Jon Gruenberg, who served as board president for several years, is trying to stay positive.

“The voters spoke, and the results are the results,” he said. “This is still a great district with great kids, great administrators and a great board.”

Gruenberg said there have been “false accusations” made against him on social media, to which he didn’t respond. He feels those comments about him got “everyone riled up.”

“I was named on social (media) all the time. I was the biggest target, and people are buying into the social network stuff. People who don’t even know me are bashing me,” he said. “As president of the board, you can’t fight with anyone on social network. I took the high road. I just try to brush it off and keep doing our work.

“I’m tired of Eastpointe Community Schools getting bashed on social media. We are not perfect, but the trajectory is good,” he said. “Our enrollment is going up, and the Early Learning Center is at capacity. People are working hard.”

Even with the many obstacles the district endured over the years, including deficits, the COVID-19 pandemic and the district getting back on its feet after several school officials were found guilty of embezzlement in 2004, Gruenberg stayed on board.

“I stuck with this district,” Gruenberg said. “We were able to survive all the challenges we faced.”

Gruenberg lives across the street from the district’s Early Learning Center.

“When I see kids being dismissed from school, you really realize this is what it’s all about,” he said.

In the Roseville Community Schools Board of Education race, five candidates ran for the three open seats. The terms are for four years. Incumbents Michelle Williams-Ward and Theresa Genest were reelected; Williams-Ward received the most votes with 8,201, and Genest received 7,184 votes.

Denise Brun, who was appointed to the board in April 2023 after board member Michael Anderson moved out of state, was elected to the school board with 7,218 votes. The incumbents beat challengers Mason Brudzinski, who received 5,566 votes, and A.C. Spears, who received 3,960 votes.

It was status quo in the Macomb Community College Board of Trustees race, where five candidates ran for two six-year terms. Incumbents Roseanne DiMaria and Joan Flynn were reelected to the board. DiMaria received 135,647 votes while Flynn received 117,414 votes.

Joseph Backus, Eugene Groesbeck and Jon Lafferty failed to receive enough votes to get elected to the board. According to the Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office, Backus received 111,710 votes, 89,942 voters supported Groesbeck and Lafferty received 77,972 votes.