My absentee ballot showed up in the mail yesterday, which got me thinking about how little information is out there right now about the 7 school board candidates.
That’s why I’m especially grateful that the League of Women Voters of the Grand Traverse Area is hosting a school board candidate forum this Monday at the library.
With 4 seats on the line, it’s an important opportunity to hear directly from the people asking for your vote.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I will look for in a school board trustee. For me, it’s someone who is:
• Committed to our district’s values*, especially our commitment to putting students first;
• Committed to our 2030 Vision* and willing to hold ourselves and the superintendent accountable for the goals we’ve set in our strategic plan;
• Willing to ask good, sometimes difficult governance questions;
• Collaborative, but not afraid to disagree;
• Committed to lifelong learning — about public K-12 education, governance, finance, curriculum, policy and the work of being a trustee;
• And finally, a fierce advocate for public education, TCAPS and, most importantly, its students.
School board elections can sometimes get overlooked, but they matter. Our school board decisions affect thousands of students and families and have a much broader impact on our community.
So if you’re a TCAPS voter, please take some time to learn about the candidates before you fill out that ballot.
I’m looking forward to hearing them Monday night at the library. 👍
League of Women Voters candidate forum:
When: Monday, October 5, 2026, 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM
Where: Maguire Room at the Traverse City Public Library on Woodmere
The program will also be broadcast on Spectrum channel 189 and livestreamed on the Traverse Area Community Media website and on www.TACM.tv/CommunityTvNow.
* Learn more about our district values and strategic plan goals: https://bit.ly/tcaps-values
📸 “TCHS students were at Reigning Liberty last Friday. Reigning Liberty has been a long time supporter of TCHS and TCHS students enjoy giving back to Reigning Liberty.” ~ Traverse City High School – TCAPS
Leave a comment