Incumbents reelected in college, school board elections

CENTER LINE/WARREN/STERLING HEIGHTS — As residents came out to the polls Nov. 8 on Election Day, one of their civic duties was to vote in local school board elections.

In those races, it was the incumbents who garnered enough votes to be reelected to their Board of Education seats.

With 2,848 votes, incumbent Daniel Taylor was the top vote-getter in the Center Line Public Schools Board of Education race with incumbent Gary Gasowski following closely with 2,829 votes. They defeated challenger Natieya Jones with 2,326 votes.

The Fitzgerald Public Schools Board of Education race was unopposed with two open seats. Incumbent Anne Covert was reelected with 2,779 votes, and newcomer Ray DeLoatch II was elected for the first time to the school board with 1,910 votes. Board member Lori M. Eseman-Dreyer is relocating and did not seek reelection. The terms are for six years.

Two seats were up in Van Dyke Public Schools with only one candidate on the ballot. Incumbent Richard Carloni was reelected to a six-year term. The board will fill the vacancy according to district procedure. In the race for the one partial term ending Dec. 31, 2024, Diane Boehm, who currently serves on the board, was elected with 3,382 votes.

Two familiar faces — current Board President Susan Trombley and Vice President Megan Papasian-Broadwell — along with a newcomer, Kyle Johnson, will serve the next six years on the Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education, where seven candidates ran for the three open seats.

Trombley received the most votes with 18,022, followed by Johnson with 14,375 votes and Papasian-Broadwell with 9,606 votes. They defeated Lesley A. Gawel (7,962 votes), Kelly Austin Esper (7,471 votes), Sarah Walko (7,427 votes) and Margo D. Heitchue (5,192 votes). Current board member Susan Jozwik did not seek reelection.

“I am very happy to see the voters in my community once again show their confidence in my leadership and ability to protect our children,” Trombley said. “I look forward to continued work with an excellent superintendent, administrators, current and newly elected board members.”

Reached for comment on the results, Johnson said, “To everyone who came out in support of my campaign and for our educational community, I thank you. I will work hard to prove that your trust was well-placed, and look forward to being a steward to our students and school communities.”

Five candidates ran for the two open seats on the Warren Woods Public Schools Board of Education. They are six-year terms. Incumbents Michael Fitzpatrick and Jere Green were reelected with 3,391 and 2,594 votes, respectively, defeating challengers Bobby Compton with 2,284 votes, Fred Huebener with 2,155 votes and Janis McGuffie with 1,574 votes.

It was status quo for the Macomb Community College Board of Trustees, where five candidates ran for two open seats. Incumbents Katherine Lorenzo and Kristi Dean were reelected to the board with 110,034 and 93,208 votes, respectively, defeating challengers Joseph A. Backus (81,565 votes), Robert Boccomino (61,789 votes) and Louise Strong (55,147 votes). The trustees serve six-year terms.