By Lisa Carolin
Nothing is more satisfying to Anne E. Mann in her role as a Chelsea Board of Education member than handing out diplomas on graduation day.
“To see the excitement and anticipation on these students’ faces as they celebrate their high school accomplishments and embark on the next chapter of their lives is very rewarding,” she says. “Years later, when I see these same young adults and hear their stories of further accomplishments and educational endeavors, it reinforces my belief that we do a good job in providing a solid foundation to help them discover their true potential in life.”
Mann was first elected to the school board in May 2005, something she was encouraged to do by outgoing board members. She was working for the Chelsea Community Hospital for 17 years in the Adminstration/Development offices and had recently left that position.
She was re-elected to the board in November 2014 for her third 4-year-term, and is currently the secretary.
Mann says that the school board is determined to keep the Chelsea school district an “outstanding asset to our community where families want to come and be a part of what we offer.” Mann says that it’s the teachers as well as the administrators and support staff who make the district what it is along with all the AP classes offered, the music programs, athletic teams, well maintained buildings and buses, and a healthy fund balance.
Still, she says, the biggest challenge that faces the board is keeping the district financially viable.
“State funding changes from year to year and is based on the number of children in our district,” said Mann. “With declining enrollment and cuts in state funding, we have had to make some tough decisions to stop the drain on our fund equity. Our top priority is what is best for our kids, and we keep this foremost in our minds when we are making these budget decisions.”
Mann is a Chelsea High School graduate along with her husband John, and their three children – Ali, Tim and Stuart. She says they all left the district, “with the tools to continue our education at the university level.”
Mann serves on board committees including the District School Improvement Team, the Policy Committee, and Negotiations. She is also a member of the Community Foundation Advisory Board.
Her hobbies include reading, playing bridge, gardening, swimming, hiking and snowshoeing as well as watching Chelsea and University of Michigan sporting events.
