Genesee News

Each year, all intermediate school districts in Michigan ask their constituent school boards to approve their proposed annual budget as a part of their collaborative relationship with the local districts.

During its May 17 meeting, the Westwood Heights Schools Board of Education discussed the Genesee Intermediate School District’s (GISD) proposed budget.

“This is the budget for the GISD,” Board Vice President Lester Fykes said in the meeting. “And we have input on how they do things, but they will not have any input on our budget whatsoever. They do supply some issues of assistance to us through the educational process, but it is up to them to provide that educational process assistance to us through our membership fees that are paid.”

The board voted to approve the GISD’s budget.

The board also considered their plans for the upcoming GISD election in June. The GISD holds an election of sorts every other year to fill the seats on their board of education. The election is not based on the votes of all residents within the bounds of the intermediate school district but is instead decided on by the vote of representatives from all school boards within the ISD. The GISD has four open seats for the upcoming election: one partial two-year term ending June 30, 2025; one partial four-year term ending June 30, 2027; and two six-year terms ending June 30, 2029. There are two candidates for the two-year term, two candidates for the four-year term and four candidates for the six-year terms.

“There was a call to me from the president of the GISD School Board named Richard Hill, and he told me, or he gave me an option to tell the board,” Fykes said. “We must figure out who we want to vote for, and I must be at the June 5 meeting to make sure that vote goes accordingly that way. And his situation was that there are three or four board members who are running who will be very disruptive to the GISD for whichever way that wants to play out. So, we must pick four people out of this group.”

Fykes will represent the board at the June 5 election.

“The request to our board from the ISD is to please take a look at these individuals,” Superintendent Les Keys said in the meeting. “Please look at their resumes to make sure that the board together collectively decide on who they want to represent as the ISD, so that whoever comes, [does so] with the vote of the board.” 

Four of the candidates are current board members, including GISD Board President Richard Hill, Secretary Janis Bugbee, Trustee Salvatore Ausiello and Trustee DesRae Joubran. With the advice of Fykes, the board voted to support Hill and Bugbee for the six-year terms, Ausiello for the four-year term and Joubran for the two-year term. Fykes will present that vote at the GISD election.