By Crystal Hayduk
The Chelsea School District Board of Education, comprised of seven members, will soon have four new faces around the table: Michelle Craig, Glenn Fox, Kate Henson, and Scott Moore.
With no incumbents running, eight candidates vied for four non-partisan seats: three six-year terms and one partial term expiring Dec. 31, 2024.
Per board policy for partial terms, Moore is expected to take the oath of office to join the board of education at their next meeting (a work session) on Nov. 28. The partial term seat had been held by Wayne Welton since his appointment following Keri Poulter’s resignation last January.
Moore was elected with 5,130 votes over John Piatt who took 3,162 votes in eight Washtenaw County precincts. In the two Jackson County precincts that are part of Chelsea School District (CSD), Moore captured 219 votes; Piatt received 157 votes.
Craig, Fox, and Henson will become board members on Jan. 1, and are expected to take the ceremonial oath of office at the board meeting on Jan. 9.
Tom Golding, Ross Greenstein, and Julianne Mallie were also on the ballot for the three full terms previously held by Laura Bush, Shawn Quilter, and Kristin van Reesema.
Election results on county websites are listed as unofficial, but all 10 precincts covering CSD in Washtenaw and Jackson Counties report 100% of the votes tallied. At press time, Washtenaw County’s most recent posted results clocked in at 5:45 a.m. on Nov. 9 and Jackson County posted at 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 9.
Voter turnout in Washtenaw County precincts across the school district was 71.94%, slightly lower than the 2018 mid-term elections when it was 74.71%. Turnout in Jackson County district precincts was 65.23%, higher than in 2018 when it was 62.36%.
The total votes for each full term candidate, including district precincts from both Washtenaw and Jackson Counties, were as follows: Glenn Fox – 5,142; Kate Henson – 5,025; Michelle Craig – 5,022; Tom Golding – 3,610; Ross Greenstein – 3,313; Julianne Mallie – 3,237.
