Meet the Chelsea School Board Candidates on the November Ballot

By Crystal Hayduk

Three individuals are seeking election to the Chelsea School District Board of Education.

With three terms expiring, these non-partisan candidates are assured a seat around the board table. Even so, voters want to know more about the people they are selecting when they darken the boxes on their ballot this November.

The names on the ballot will include incumbents Erin Hunt-Carter and Heidi E. Reyst, who are running for six-year terms; and newcomer Sara Tracy seeking to fill a partial-term ending Dec. 31, 2026. Hunt-Carter and Reyst were appointed on Feb. 12 to fill vacancies when Jason Eyster and Laura Bush resigned on Jan. 15.

Trustee Dr. Scott Moore is not seeking reelection.

Chelsea Update asked the candidates questions about key issues and to provide background information. In alphabetical order, candidate responses are below. Their answers are published as submitted, without content editing.

Erin Hunt-Carter 

OCCUPATION & PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT:

I am a clinical psychologist. I own a small therapy clinic in Dexter, Great Lakes Mental Health.

EDUCATION:

I graduated from Belleville High School in Belleville, Michigan in 1996. I graduated with a BS in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University in 1999. I earned my master’s degree and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2002 and 2010.

ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE:

I have never held an elected office in the past.

CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE:

I have been a member of the Reproductive Health Committee in the school district for two years.

I currently volunteer for local organizations related to reproductive health and suicide prevention.

KEY ISSUES: (Please briefly identify the top two issues of your campaign.)

1. School safety is one of my top priorities. Students cannot learn and grow if they do not feel safe on school grounds.
2. Another high priority of mine is to ensure that each student learns the academic, practical, social, and emotional tools to succeed in a rapidly changing, technology-driven world.

ACTIONS: (Please BRIEFLY explain how you will address the two key issues you’ve chosen above.)

1. I support efforts to prevent school-based violence and to make our schools physically safer in the event of an active threat. Our district currently employs a variety of strategies to reduce the likelihood of a violent threat and to address a threat if it arises. These include ongoing efforts to address mental health, the creation of the new Director of Safety and Security position, the placement and use of live camera feeds throughout the district, and the security of our entrances. I am interested in pursuing additional physical safety measures that have been shown to be efficacious.

I am in favor of training as many staff members as possible in the use of Narcan (an over-the-counter opiate antagonist) in the case of an opioid overdose. I also want to investigate cost-effective measures that could reduce risk of spreading illness in the classrooms such as use of HEPA filters in crowded spaces.

2. I want each of our graduates to be academically, socially, and emotionally prepared to follow their unique dreams. Whether they become CEOs or stay-at-home parents, Chelsea students deserve a well-rounded education that equips them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed.

I believe that Chelsea District Schools do an excellent job preparing students for college, but a university education is not the right option for every student. There are so many amazing careers outside the traditional four-year college path. Chelsea High School offers Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in a wide-range of in-demand fields including robotics, cybersecurity, health sciences, and construction trades. Students in these programs graduate ready to enter the workforce in fulfilling, important, and lucrative careers. Our CTE offerings are a point of pride in the district, and I strongly support their continuation and expansion.

I am also deeply committed to supporting and improving the services available to students enrolled in special education programs. I welcome feedback from district families with students in special education to better understand how we are meeting their needs and how we can better prepare these students for their lives and careers post-graduation.

GOALS: What are your goals for the Chelsea School District over the next five to seven years?

My priorities for the next five to seven years include:

Continuing to support excellence in academics, the arts, and extracurriculars

Improved physical safety in our classrooms

Making sure we are meeting the needs of students with plans other than college following graduation

Continuing and supporting efforts to create a learning atmosphere where every student feels welcome and safe regardless of their identity, background, or level of ability

Proactively addressing challenges facing our district in an open manner

INSIGHT: What do you hope to achieve if elected as a school board member?

I believe that Chelsea District Schools are on a good trajectory. We are consistently rated among the top schools in the state. I want to maintain and build upon our stellar academic foundation by emphasizing the arts, career and technical education, and special education.

I also want to improve the culture in our district to make it welcoming to all students and their families. We have had persistent problems with prejudice and bullying of students of color or those who have marginalized identities. This is unacceptable. It needs to end. I acknowledge it is a complicated problem with many contributing factors, many of which are related to messages children get at home about people who are different. I also recognize that our staff genuinely care about our students, and they are trying very hard to make improvements. However, it needs to change. I want to be a part of making the schools a welcoming place where all students can feel comfortable and safe.

SUMMARY: Why do you want to be a school board member?

I am a strong supporter of our public schools. I come from a long line of educators, and my own mother served on a public school board for nearly a decade. I believe that public schools are the backbone of a civil society. Every child deserves access to a quality education that meets their specific needs.

My children had very good experiences in the school district, but there were also issues that needed to be addressed. I was inspired to start attending school board meetings after they both shared concerns about potentially systemic issues related to prejudice toward students with marginalized identities. I began to learn more about the district and decided that this was a way I wanted to give back to the community.

WEBSITE: https://www.ElectErinHuntCarter.com

PERSONAL: I am 46 years old, and have been married to my husband, Brent, for 24 years. We have two children, Anna and Ian, who attended Chelsea District Schools. They are both CHS graduates (2022 and 2024) who now attend the University of Michigan.

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Heidi Elizabeth Reyst

OCCUPATION & PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: 

President/Co-owner Sage Solutions Group HR consultant

EDUCATION: Farmington Hills Harrison, Class of 1987

Kalamazoo College, Class of 1991: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

The George Washington University, 2001: Doctorate, Applied Social Psychology

ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE:

Technically no. However, I was appointed to the Chelsea Board of Education in January upon a vacancy. I have learned a tremendous amount of information about the school board, the school system, and how to be a productive board trustee.

CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Current Chelsea Board of Education trustee

Chelsea Varsity Hockey Club – Secretary

Girl Scout Troop Leader

Outside of Chelsea community service, I also served on three non-profit boards in the field of brain injury rehabilitation and was an advocate in that field for more than two decades.

KEY ISSUES: (Please briefly identify the top two issues of your campaign.)

1. A key goal for me is to bring better clarity to the needs of neurodiverse students.
2. In addition to neurodiversity, I want to be a model and a voice for students and staff alike. Representation matters, and issues around diversity are very important to me. Living authentically may not always seem attainable, and I wish to be an example that doing so doesn’t mean opportunities will be lost.

ACTIONS: (Please briefly explain how you will address the two key issues you’ve chosen above.)

1. NEURODIVERSITY – I will work collaboratively with administrators and educators within the district to infuse education on the challenges and needs of neurodiverse kids within the overall continuing education curriculum.
2. DIVERSITY – This can certainly be challenging, especially in the political climate of today. To be clear, I am not pushing any sort of diversity agenda. Rather, my focus is on recognizing the value that diversity brings to our community, our district and our staff and students, so that everyone can contribute to and benefit from that diversity.

GOALS: What are your goals for the Chelsea School District over the next five to seven years?

Similar to the above key issues.

Find innovative ways to increase school enrollment, which includes focusing on continuing the district’s outstanding academic focus and curriculum, and excellent athletic, technical, and other extra-curricular activities.

INSIGHT: What do you hope to achieve if elected as a school board member?

Maintain, and enhance, where applicable, the district’s current academic excellence.

Be a conduit between the district and the numerous district stakeholders.

Support staff, educators and administration through collaboration which is known to increase academic outcomes.

SUMMARY: Why do you want to be a school board member?

I wish to support the good work that is done every day in our district.

I bring a different perspective as a member of the LGBTQ community.

I have children in the district, and I want to be a part of the district’s growth.

As a current school board trustee, I am responsible for collaborating with administration and educators to address the district’s vision and goals, creating and updating policies, approving and overseeing the budget, and evaluating the superintendent. That will continue if re-elected.

I will continue to serve as a liaison between the community and the school district, ensuring transparent communication, promoting equality, and advocating for the district’s needs at various levels.

I will have a continued role in ensuring the curriculum supports our students, that legal compliance is maintained, and our buildings are safe learning environments.

 WEBSITE: Reyst Forchelseaschools

PERSONAL:

Age: 55

Married: Angie McCalla

Children:  8^th grader at Beach Middle School and 10^th grader at CHS

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Sara Tracy       

OCCUPATION & PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT:

Digital Health Transformation Director, Carilion Clinic Health System

EDUCATION:

Chelsea High School (Valedictorian), Chelsea, MI 1993

University of Michigan, Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, Ann Arbor, MI 1998

University of Colorado, Master of Science, Public Health, Denver, CO, 2004

ANY PREVIOUS ELECTED OFFICE:

No

CURRENT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE:

None

KEY ISSUES: (Please briefly identify the top two issues of your campaign.)

1. Mental Health
2. Career Path

ACTIONS: (Please BRIEFLY explain how you will address the two key issues you’ve chosen above.)

Mental health for students has been a significant issue for years and the COVID pandemic only exacerbated the problem. As a board member, there are two key things I feel I can do to affect needed change (or help maintain status quo, if appropriate): a.) Be open to listening to concerns from parents, students and teachers regarding mental health issues in our community, including where we have gaps in services, where we have services that work and should be continued, and where we have programs that may not be effective or may be detrimental; b.) Support policy work and program as a board member that address items brought up as above.  This may include supporting ongoing funding and staffing for current programs that work, supporting a needs assessment to identify gaps, or helping to identify resources to bring new programs/services/staffing to the district to help unmet needs. 

I firmly believe that part of the role of our public school system is to support students in identifying their post high school career trajectory, whatever that might look like. While recent decades have seen a push to encourage all students to choose a college path post-high school, I don’t believe that is necessarily the right choice for every student. Our students need the opportunity to explore their interests, develop their likes and dislikes, and understand their strengths and areas for improvement. I would like to see the district develop a career path program for our children that helps them understand early on in their education what their options are post-high school. As stated in the previous question, I can do this through listening to our parents, students, and teachers as well as through supporting resources, policies, and development of these programs.   

GOALS: What are your goals for the Chelsea School District over the next five to seven years?

I would like to see the district continue as well as expand our work with vocational education and college prep. We need to ensure that our students have the resources that they need to be successful once their leave the halls of Chelsea High School. This may mean both continuing as well as expanding current programs, identifying new programs, or eliminating programs that are ineffective. Additionally, as a district, we should be evaluating our offerings on a regular basis to determine what should continue, be expanded, added, or removed. Ongoing evaluation or programs and curricula is key to ensuring that we are providing education that is as relevant as possible to the community around us. 

INSIGHT: What do you hope to achieve if elected as a school board member?

I hope to provide support to our parents, students, teachers, and community to allow the district to continue to grow and thrive. I hope to see expanded mental health services, a functional career path program, and ongoing support for our staff and students. 

SUMMARY: Why do you want to be a school board member?

As a product of this school district from the early 90s, I believe very strongly in our public school system. Our children deserve to be educated, supported, and nurtured in an environment that helps them to develop their potential, while providing the guidance that they need to figure out their place in the world. They deserve to understand how the world outside of Chelsea, Michigan looks and how it will impact them once they leave this community. They should be allowed to explore their interests, test their knowledge, identify their passions, and develop their path into young adulthood. As a board member, I want to support the personnel, policies, programs, and resources that are needed to make sure that our children get these things.

WEBSITE: Sara Tracy for Chelsea Schools

PERSONAL:

I am 49 years old, married for nearly 20 years to my spouse, and we have three children. Our oldest is a 7th grader at Beach Middle School and we have twins who are both 3rd graders at South Meadows Elementary.