The Clarkston News recently sent out surveys to each of the Clarkston Community Board of Education candidates. Following are the six candidates responses.
Candidates include: Barry Bomier, running for a 2-year term; Stephen Hyer, running for a 4-year term; David Lohmeier, running for a 4-year term; Robin Matczak, running for a 2-year term; Barbara Seiltz, running for a 2-year term; and Ronald Sullivan, running for a 4-year term.
Barry Bomier has been a Clarkston resident for 14 years. He lives with his wife Gae, a teacher at Clarkston High School, and daughters Courtney and Whitney. Bomier is a program manager of military products for Michelin North America and is a retired army officer.
Experience in Clarkston Schools:Trustee, Clarkston Community School Board, 1994-1996. Member PTA/PTSA (Bailey Lake Elementary, Sashabaw Middle School, and CHS) 1992 – Present. A number of school bond/millage elections.
In addition to my involvement in the local school district activities, I have also worked as a volunteer in a variety of organizations with education as a focus. This would include: Workforce Development Board of Genesee & Shiawassee Counties, 1998-2005; Education Advisory Group; Genesee Intermediate School District, 2000-2005; Trustee, Macomb Foundation, 1992-1995; Co-Chair, Boulder Christian School, PTO, Boulder, Colorado, 1985-1986; Advisory Board for Business and Engineering, Baker College, 2000-2004.
Q. What are your two main concerns/interests within the district? There are two major issues facing the district ? the decrease in state funding and the management of the grades 6-9 reconfiguration.
The first issue is not unlike what we experienced when I served on the board after the passage of Proposal A. The severity of those impacts are compounded on the district with additional unfunded federal mandates like the No Child Left Behind Act.The grade reconfiguration is something that will have a lasting impact on the education of our children.
Q.What is you understanding of a school board member’s responsibility? My understanding of a school board trustee’s responsibilities is based on previous experience as a trustee. Those responsibilities include policy, budget and personnel matters.
Q. For whom does the board of education work? The citizens of the school district.
Q. When do you believe the district will ask for another millage? The short answer is, I don’t know. We have not had that discussion in the year that I’ve been back on the board. Funding requests are driven by a number of requirements ? it would be more correct to say that the exact timing and need for millage requests is unknown.
Q.What impact does a community newspaper have on a school district? A community newspaper can have both a positive or negative impact on a district. The impact is driven by providing complete and balanced reporting on issues of interest to the community.
Q. Why do you want to serve on the school board? I’m running for a seat on the Board of Education for Clarkston Community Schools because I believe the education of our children is one of our most important responsibilities, and I want to be a part of making that happen in my hometown.
Q.What unique skills and qualifications can you offer to the board? My experience and background provide me with unique qualities and skills for serving on the Board of Education. This includes a previous term on the board, as well as professional expertise in the areas of crisis communications and strategic planning.
Q. Anything else you would like to add about yourself? A graduate of the United States Military Academy, I’ve dedicated much of my life to service and the belief that service is a responsibility that comes with citizenship. My service includes work on school committees, along with church and community projects and a career in the Army.

Stephen Hyer has been a Clarkston resident for 13 years. Recently married to Kelly, the Hyer’s plan for children in the future. Hyer graduated from Clarkston High School in 1997, and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2000. He is currently the President for IGD Solutions Corporation.
Experience in Clarkston Schools:Currently serving as vice president, Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education; Board of Education Legislative Liaison, Lansing and Washington D.C; actively involved with the Oakland County School Boards Association, OCSBA Legislative Committee, Vice Chair Michigan Association of School Boards – Certified Board Member; Achieved MASB Level 3 Award of Distinction by taking advanced classes and attending professional development opportunities;1993 ? 1997 CHS PTSA Member.
Community Involvement ? Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce ? Board of Directors, Clarkston Lighted Holiday Parade ? chairperson, Clarkston Area Youth Assistance ? mentor, Clarkston Coalition for Youth ? leadership forum, Clarkston Area Lions Club ? member, Clarkston Local Business Network ? Past President, Clarkston Foundation ? Member, Leadership Clarkston ? active participant, Independent Township Parks and Recreation ? volunteer, Springfield Township Parks and Recreation ? volunteer.
Q.What are your two main concerns/interests within the district? The two main issues facing Clarkston Community Schools are growth and budget. Because the state has not raised our per pupil allocation for the past three years, it is now more important than ever to make sure that our dollars are being spent in our classrooms. It is absolutely imperative that we continue to be proactive in the budgeting process by delaying and cutting expenditures that least affect our students.
At the same time, it is necessary to work together as a district to under spend our current budget. In the last four years during my tenure, we have increased our fund equity allowing us to handle the next several years of small fiscal increases from the state without making major program or staff cuts.
The Clarkston area has been continually growing over the past decade. It is important to plan ahead for this growth and be able to proactively handle the increased number of students we expect to see. As we complete our current construction projects, it is critical that we continually monitor growth projections using data from both state and local township officials so we can plan for possible future expansions of our school buildings. We must work with our community to plan for future growth in a proactive fashion to keep up with the needs of our excellent educational programs.
Q.What is your understanding of a school board member’s responsibilities? It is the job of the school board to provide the district with the vision needed to establish quality educational programs. The school board does this through creating an effective array of policies and by establishing annual budget parameters for the district.
It is also the role of the school board to continually evaluate district programs to insure we have the highest quality educational program we can afford. It is not the role of the school board to micromanage the district’s operations. The school board is responsible for hiring and evaluating the superintendent and it is the superintendent’s responsibility to run the day to day operations of the district.
Q. For whom does the Board of Education work? The voters in Clarkston Community Schools elect the Board of Education members. The board members are thus held accountable to the community. It is the job of the board to respond to community needs to provide the best educational program possible so the community is impacted positively by an excellent local school district. It is important for board members to maintain open lines of communication with the community at all times. I am involved in as many aspects of our local community as I can to best understand and to proactively respond to community needs.
Q. When do you believe the district will ask for another millage? When Proposal A was passed in 1994, one of the components of the proposal was for local districts to collect 18 mills on non-homestead properties. We cannot collect additional millages for general fund operational dollars. The state assumes as part of the student foundation allowance that we collect locally the entire 18 mills from our non-homestead properties. The state figures out how much revenue we should be collecting locally and subtracts that money from our state aid payments. Because of this, the 18 mill non-homestead tax is a vital part of our operational dollars. We are currently levying 18 mills on non-homestead properties and this millage expires next year. We will need to renew this millage at the May 2006 election date. As a board, we must discuss our renewal strategy and then communicate that effectively to the entire community. This will not be a tax increase. This will simply maintain our current level of funding.
Q.What impact does a community newspaper have on a school district? A community newspaper is a vital communication tool in any school district. A school system affects an entire community and not just those who have children attending school. A community newspaper should have a collaborative partnership with the school district to best serve the community by reporting both the good and the not so good news that may need to be reported. It is vital that a community newspaper recognize the accomplishments and achievements of our students publicly. Our students partake in some amazing activities and phenomenal programs and they certainly deserve to be recognized and the community certainly deserves to know about these exciting occurrences going on in the school district.
Q. Why do you want to serve on the school board? I am currently vice president of the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education. I want to continue for a second term on the Clarkston Board of Education to continue the projects that I worked to implement during the past four years. I have continually improved my skills as an effective board member by working with the district administration and the Michigan Association of School Boards. I want to use these skills over the next four years to complete our current bond construction projects, implement the new grade level realignment and continue to realign our curriculum to state and national standards. I have been an extremely active and effective board member in my first term and I look to build on this experience in my next term by continually raising the bar for student achievement through effective policy decisions.
As a local business owner and an active member of the community, I provide the Board of Education with a unique and broad perspective from the community. I will approach challenging issues such as upcoming budget concerns and continued growth from this perspective by focusing on improving teaching and learning for each of our 8,000 students in the district. When making decisions as a Board of Education member, I continually question the impact on our students.
Q.What unique skills and qualifications can you offer to the board? I am a local business owner that is very involved in the Clarkston community. The skills I have gained in working with customers and then working with my staff to deliver quality products and services to my customers are invaluable in helping me to better establish the vision and policies for the entire school district.
I currently do not have kids in the school district, but I do have children planned in the future. I am not in the position of only advocating for what is best for my child, I continually advocate for what is best for all 8,000 of our kids. Because I do not have children currently, I have the time to devote now to make sure that when I do have children, they are attending the absolutely best school system available.
The school board is at a time currently when there are several newer board members. Unlike when I was first elected, the board now needs experienced board members who know the issues. Because of the difficult state situation surrounding budget and more so the complicated mandates placed upon the district by No Child Left Behind and Education YES, experienced board members have the upper hand in working with Lansing and Washington, DC on these issues to make sure our legislators understand the mandates and requirements they place on us.
I have worked very hard in developing these relationships over the last four years and the school district has benefited greatly. It is my goal to continue to cultivate these relationships to create a partnership with our legislators to best meet the current budget and mandate challenges. The experience that I have gained over the last four years will allow me to be most effective in helping kids over the next four years.
Q. Anything else you would like to add about yourself? I believe I am a person who has and will continue to represent the entire community and not just a small population. I am looking to be involved now so that when I have kids in the future, they will have an excellent school system available to them. When making decision, I try to weigh the data, feedback and outcomes to both the community and our students. I ask for your vote on May 3 so I can continue to serve you and our students as a member of the Clarkston Board of Education for the benefits of the students and the benefits of the entire community.

Ronald Sullivan has been a Clarkston resident for 14 years. He resides with wife Denise. They have two children, Erin and Meghan. Sullivan is a senior database administrator.
Experience in Clarkston Schools: School Board Trustee 1997 ? present; attended the majority of school board meetings 1994 -1997; Clarkston High School PTA member 1999 ? 2005; Clarkston Middle School PTA member 1996 ? 2003; new elementary school and schools renovations committee 1996; new high school bond committee member 1995; new elementary school bond volunteer 1993; Clarkston Elementary PTO school board representative 1995 ? 1997; Clarkston Elementary PTO school fair committee 1994 -1997; Clarkston Elementary PTO member 1994 ? 2000; Pine Knob school fair co-chair 1993 ? 1994; Pine Knob school fair committee member 1992 -1993; Pine Knob PTA member 1991 ? 1994.
Q.What are your two main concerns/interests within the district? Two issues that the board needs to stay focused on are the new grade configuration in the fall and the budget.
The board has been preparing for the new grade configuration by making sure the construction projects stay on schedule along with reviewing and approving the course offerings for grades 6 ? 7, and transitional strategies for grades 6 ? 9. One item I believe the board still needs to address is how they are going to measure these changes to be sure they are getting the desired results.
Budget is always important, but over the last three years the state has not increased their per student allocation. The governor has stated that there will be an increase of $175 in the student allocation for the 2005 ? 2006 school year, however; the state of Michigan is requiring that additional dollars be spent on retirement funding which will exhaust most of the increased allocation. I believe the board needs to continue their current budget review process, along with looking at ways to collaborate with other districts, municipalities and/or corporations in order to make the best use of tight budget dollars.
Q.What is your understanding of a school board member’s responsibilities? The main responsibility of a board member is to work collaboratively with the entire board to set district policy and direction.
Q. For whom does the board of education work? (In other words, who is the school board’s ‘boss??) The Board of Education is elected by the community within the district to provide an educational environment that challenges all students.
Q.When do you believe the district will ask for another millage? There are no plans for a new construction bond millage, although next year the district will need to request a renewal of a non-homestead millage.
Q. What role should a community newspaper play in a school district? A community newspaper needs to be diligent in reporting accurate facts regarding school district business and how this affects not only the schools but the community as well.
Q. Why do you want to serve on the school board? I wish to continue being a trustee on the Clarkston Board of Education so that I can follow through with the implementation of the new grade configuration. The new grade configuration is one item that the Board of Education has been focused on for the last couple of years to make sure the construction, curriculum and implementation strategies are in place for the 2005 ? 2006 school year.
I also wish to continue being part of a board that has worked hard to keep the Clarkston school district moving in a positive direction resulting in several elementary schools, Clarkston Middle School and Clarkston High School all receiving the Michigan Blue Ribbon School Award.
Q. What unique skills and qualifications can you offer to the board? I bring to the board many skills I have acquired working in a variety of management and technical positions over the last 26 years. Specifically, my background in Information Systems Management has qualified me in the areas of strategic business planning, budget development, facilitation and data analysis. I have also gained a strong understanding of what is required of a school broad trustee through attending Michigan Association of School Boards conferences and classes. I have completed my Certified Boardmember Award and Award of Merit. All of these skills qualify me to continue to work as a trustee on the Board of Education to provide all students an opportunity to be challenged to be their best.
Q. Anything else you would like to add about yourself? The Board of Education needs experience to continue to address the current issues and to work with the community and municipalities. I have gained and demonstrated that experience over the last eight years as a trustee on the Board of Education. Please support me on May 3 so that I can continue to work for the school district, parents and community as the district continues its mission to ensure learning while challenging all individuals to exceed their own expectations.

Barbara Seiltz has been a Clarkston resident for two and a half years. She lives with husband Michael, and their three children – Daniel, Emily and Benjamin.
Experience in Clarkston Schools: I am currently the president of North Sashabaw Elementary PTO and the treasurer of Sashabaw Middle School PTA. Since moving to Clarkston in December 2002, I have been involved with the following: I have been a member of Dr. Roberts? Parent Advisory Team, I have been a building representative for the Spring Into Reading program, and I have been a Team Manager for Destination Imagination (Creative Problem Solving). In 2004, I received an Outstanding Service Award from the Clarkston Board of Education.
Q.What are your two main concerns/interests within the district? I feel that the two most important issues facing education in Clarkston right now are school funding and the transition into our new school configurations next year. The transition will impact almost 3,000 children and we need to ensure that it is implemented correctly.
Q.What is your understanding of a school board member’s responsibilities? My understanding of a school board member’s responsibility is to set the policies of the district, oversee the district’s budget and hiring the superintendent and approving all personnel recommendations.
Q. For whom does the board of education work? I believe that the board of education works for all students residing in the district, present and future.
Q. When do you believe the district will ask for another millage? I do not believe that we can ask for millages under Proposal A. We are able to ask for voter approval to obtain bonds for capital improvements. It has been discussed at Board of Education meetings that a bond would be necessary to build a future elementary school.
Q. What role should a community newspaper play in a school district? I feel that a community newspaper can help a school district by being a partner with the schools. The paper can publicize school events, athletic schedules, school issues, etc. I see it being a win/win situation for the schools and the newspaper.
Q. Why do you want to serve on the school board? Becoming a member of the Clarkston Board of Education would give me the opportunity to use my skills as a professional and as a mother to ensure the success of Clarkston Community Schools.
Q.What unique skills and qualifications can you offer to the board? I went to school in a rural community. I have been a single, working mother and a stay at home mother. I have been a parent in a city district as well as here in Clarkston. These experiences give me a unique perspective that I can bring to the board.
Being involved in all of the activities I have, has strengthened my organizational, time management, personal relationship skills as wells as my diplomatic skills. I believe these will all prove beneficial to me as a board member.

David Lohmeier has been a Clarkston resident for 14 years. He and wife Beth have two daughters, Olivia and Emma. David is a program manager for General Motors
Experience in Clarkston Schools: Both of our girls started school in Clarkston. The teaching is world class. I have enjoyed being involved in as much as I can which has included field days, fundraisers, dances, reading in class and class parties. Our family favorite is the Halloween party.
Q.What are your two main concerns/interests within the district? My main priorities will always be the safety of the students and the quality of the education provided. Everything we do must keep those priorities at the center of our focus. However, the most urgent issues facing the Board will be managing the expected revenues against sharply rising costs. Good strategic planning for expected growth would be the next critical requirement
Q. What is your understanding of a school board member’s responsibilities? Members of the school board are state officers chosen by citizens to represent them and the state in the management of the local school. While the specific responsibilities of the board members are numerous: attending meetings, developing school policy, negotiating contracts, hiring etc., I believe the core of a board members responsibility is to support the established philosophy of the board which can be briefly paraphrased ‘Maintain two way communications with citizens of the district, establish policies and make decisions based on the declared educational philosophy and goals, and act as a truly representative body for citizens in all matters related to programs and operations.?
Q. For whom does the board of education work? As a board member, I will always remember that I work for ALL of the citizens of the district. Those citizens that do not have children in the schools still expect great schools managed with good fiscal sense. Our schools drive the entire community’s image and our property values.
Q. When do you believe the district will ask for another millage? I don’t foresee the need for another bond proposal in the near future; however, the need to maintain the current 18 mil non-homestead millage will be a near term requirement, (within the next 6-12 months). The new school board will have to deal with this immediately. Without this, substantial funding will be lost to our schools.
Q. What role should a community newspaper play in a school district? I believe that a local newspaper has an important role as it can help connect all members of the community. The School is not an island and the district needs the support and resources of the entire community. Conversely, our schools must always be a responsible partner in community issues as well. The Clarkston News, through its coverage can and should help make that connection.
Q. Why do you want to serve on the school board? I desire to bring my perspective as a father of two elementary age girls to the school board’s decision-making process. I believe strongly in actively listening to parents? voices on issues that affect the students on a day-to-day basis, and encouraging parents? participation. The board needs to be responsive to concerns important to school issues that directly affect students. I believe it is critical that good planning is a normal course of business on the board and I will bring my experience and skills in planning with me.
Q. What unique skills and qualifications can you offer to the board? My academic background is engineering and business and I have worked for GM for 16 years. I am currently a program planning manger with GM performance cars. From this experience, I have gained important skill in strategic planning and financial management, which I believe are critically needed for our school board.
I have always been active in our community serving on the local and national Boy Scout Executive Boards, the Independence Township Planning Commission, the Wetland Board, the Safety path committee, Citizens for Orderly Growth and others. My family belongs to St Daniels Church in Clarkston. My years of experience in local government planning will enable me to bring practical knowledge to the board. I will also bring a great sense of responsibility to the entire community I serve.
Q. Anything else you would like to add about yourself? Years ago I sold real estate in the Clarkston area and learned first hand how important schools are when people choose a home. I believe our schools are one of our most valuable community assets. They are the social center for many of us and help define the Clarkston area. I have enjoyed my role over the years as a planning leader and volunteer, and I now wish help lead our school in effective cooperation with all voices of our community. I want to thank the many people who have wished me well, encouraged me to run and lent their support. This really is a great place to live and I am honored to be a candidate for The Clarkston School Board.

Robin Matczak has been a Clarkston resident for five and a half years. She lives with husband Mark, and their three children Connor, Logan and Kaedyn.
Experience in Clarkston Schools: Like most of us, home, work and family responsibilities encompass the majority of my time. My three young sons have kept me busy with their education and extra curricular activities. This is where I had felt my time was best spent; raising, supporting and being involved in my children’s day to day activities.
I am very involved in my children’s education and activities; working as the ‘home helper? for my second grader, the substitute classroom helper for my kindergartner’s class and chairing positions at the school fair and Fun Run. I am a member of the PTA and attend and volunteer at the majority of all school functions.
My husband and I have been involved not only in the boy’s education but in their social events as well. We have coached soccer for our two oldest boys for the past four years. As my children are becoming more independent, I feel it is time for me to branch out and serve my community more. Having three small children, I will be closely involved in the district for the next fourteen years. My interest in the school board position will give me the opportunity to serve our community and be very involved in the education of the children of our district.
Q.What are your two main concerns/interests within the district? My two main concerns for the district are funding and costs. We are going to have to change some things at the district level. To be successful, these changes must be done together with the community. It’s critical that we have an open line of communication with our Clarkston families. It’s easy to say we communicate with our families, but our community must have a protocol they can use. We can not truly say we are communicating by asking our parents to limit their comments to two minutes at the board meeting twice a month.
Q.What is your understanding of a school board member’s responsibilities? I believe a successful school board should reflect the vision of the community and set strategic goals for the district to accomplish. The school board should continually benchmark to make sure these community and district goals are met. They must always focus on the safety and academic success of our children.
A successful school board should not act as a rubber stamp for the administration. In Clarkston, we are blessed to have the amount of parental involvement at school level. I believe this partnership between teachers and parents is a key to our academic success. I believe our schools are the epitome of parental involvement. I want to bring that involvement back to the district level. I will do this by working to change the way our board communicates with the community, whether it be ‘community engagement sessions? or simply implementing ‘suggestion boxes? in every school as a start.
Q. For whom does the board of education work? The school board should be a cross section of our community. Diverse skills and experience will result in the most effective team. They are usually elected; however, some get on the board by running unopposed or appointed by the board after a vacancy. This election gives our community the opportunity to establish that they are who the school board is serving. The school board is to represent the community and advocate issues and opportunities on behalf of the community.
Q. When do you believe the district will ask for another millage? Although ‘Proposal A? had great promise in lowering property taxes and funding schools with the 2% increase on sales tax, it has not met school funding needs. Many districts across the state are having severe funding shortages affecting the education of our children. There is a huge variance within Oakland County on what the per pupil funding is. Clarkston is 3 from the bottom. Birmingham schools get almost twice the per pupil funding from the state. The state must solve our funding issues. We must not be satisfied by just complaining, but need to get our community involved and work to solve these funding issues.
I will advocate for administrative cost reductions and analyze all capital and operating expenses, always focusing on maintaining or increasing educational spending before I would support another Homestead millage increase.
Q.What role should a community newspaper play in a school district? In Clarkston, having a community newspaper is just another tool the district should use to communicate and inform our Clarkston families. The school board should have an ‘open door policy? to the press. Our community cares deeply about it’s? schools. Given the chance, parents can and will add value. If elected, I will partner with all public outlets. I believe an informed community is an engaged community.
Q. Why do you want to serve on the school board? The reason for wanting to serve on the board is simple: I believe our school board should represent our community. The democratic process has given me the opportunity by having elections every four years. I believe if a qualified person from the community desires to volunteer their time and skills, they should have the opportunity. I have heard a lot about continuity from the incumbents, but I strongly believe that our district will miss out on great talent if we choose to allow unchanged and unchallenged incumbents maintain a majority on the board. I believe we have elections so the community can choose how they best are represented.
I bring 14 years of analytical experience to the board. I will have three children in this district for the next 14 years. Being a school board member will allow me to serve my community by being the pulse and communicator for our families. Having a shared vision with the community ensures mission-focused results that will benefit all students and families. I ask you for the chance to help our district and Clarkston community by focusing on our issues and involving the community.
Q.What unique skills and qualifications can you offer to the board? My professional responsibilities are to understand business opportunities and problems, then by utilizing many data sources, work with my customer and team to improve business. These credentials will