By Crystal Hayduk
The Chelsea School District Board of Education (BOE) met three new staff members and a new student liaison at its meeting on Sept. 9.
Katie Spisich, principal at South Meadows Elementary School introduced two new teachers. “We hit the jackpot with [fourth grade teacher] Logan Caszatt,” said Spisich of the last-minute hire following a late resignation. Caszatt most recently taught in Manchester, but her two children were already students in Chelsea through the School of Choice program.
Stacey Coleman was hired to teach in a new third grade classroom due to increased enrollment. Coleman earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University. She entered the educational field as a second career, with a master’s degree in education from the University of Phoenix. Spisich said Coleman’s references raved about her “classroom community, her heart, her leadership, and her relationships.”
[Note: Typically, new hires are approved by the BOE prior to their introduction at a meeting. However, Superintendent Mike Kapolka wrote in an email on Sept. 13 that a decision was made to introduce Caszatt alongside Coleman at the start of the school year. Her formal recommendation for hire, with more information about her, is expected at the Oct. 7 BOE meeting.]
Kapolka introduced Doug Whitsel, the district’s new director of safety and security. Kapolka said Whitsel’s background in law enforcement and military experience was a good fit for the district. He has served as a police officer in the Battle Creek area, was a security forces team leader for the U.S. Air Force, has received extensive training in emergency response and physical safety measures, and most recently worked at a nuclear security facility for the Idaho National Laboratory.
To learn more about Whitsel, visit the article in Chelsea Update here.
Chelsea High School Assistant Principal Andrea Franco introduced the new student liaison to the board, Bradley Dunn. He is a junior who has held several leadership roles at school. Dunn plays varsity tennis, is in the orchestra, Link Crew, Interact Club, and ping pong club. Dunn applied for the liaison position “… to learn more about the process and have an impact,” said Franco.
The board met the September elementary students of the month. North Creek Elementary Principal Casey Wescott introduced Antonio “TJ” Bryant, a second grade student. Spisich introduced fifth grader Paul Curran.
Kapolka said there will be a special education millage renewal on the Nov. 5 ballot. If renewed, the millage will preserve general fund dollars. If it does not pass, just over $2 million will be spent from the general fund to provide required special education services.
The board approved withdrawing and archiving a list of NEOLA policies and adopting Thrun Law Firm policies. Any policies that conflict with the new policies will also be withdrawn and archived. Kapolka said these changes are to bring the district into compliance with Title IX federal regulations.
Title IX is an amendment passed in 1972 that protects individuals from sex discrimination in educational programs or activities that received financial assistance from the federal government.
A videorecording of the meeting is available to view here. BOE meeting recordings are posted on the district’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@chelseabulldogs). Only the two most recent meetings are now being kept, and work sessions are not recorded.
The primary goal [of posting meeting recordings] is to ensure accessibility and relevance. Kapolka said in a released statement: “By posting only the most recent meetings, we are trying to make it easier for stakeholders to access timely and pertinent information without having to sort through older, less relevant content. As the YouTube channel is a new addition to our toolbox of communication to the community, we made the decision to go with this model, versus leaving a full year’s worth of meeting on the site.”
Upcoming dates:
There will be a work session at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 23 in the board room at the Washington Street Education Center (WSEC).
The next regular board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the media center at Chelsea High School, 740 N. Freer Road.
