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On Monday, July 14, the Saline Board of Education has a special meeting to discuss applicants for the open board position created by the resignation of Brad Gerbe, who resigned to take a teaching in the district.
The applicants are Ryan Davidson, Nathan Hansen, Luke Schmerberg, Christy Lilley, Kelly Van Singel, Marco Celsius Magbitang and Julie Kelley.
One of those candidates, however, perhaps the one most known to the school community, is Kelley, who this year retired as a fourth and fifth grade teacher. Kelley will be on a long-planned trip and is unable to attend the meeting and unable to attend by Zoom or a phone call due to the time difference.
Kelley had offered to interview at the end of Tuesday's board meeting - but the board declined that offer. By a 3-2 vote, the board voted to only interview candidates on July 14 but allowed it may considered all candidates during deliberations.
Trustees Tim Austin and Jason Tizedes argued for interviewing Kelley Tuesday. Trustees Michael McVey, Darcy Berwick and Jennifer Steben voted to limit the interviews to Monday.
Berwick, McVey and Steben decided that since the calls to the community for a board member stipulated all candidates would be interviewed July 14, that the board ought to stick to it.
"I don't think altering the process would speak well of us," Berwick said.
McVey said that Trustee Lauren Gold's absence also factored into his decision not to interview Kelley Monday. McVey said Gold had made special arrangements to attend the July 14 meeting.
Austin said board policy stipulates the board shall interview all interested candidates. Tizedes said the board should accommodate her. He said that her offer was an example of stepping up and showing how much they want to serve.
McVey said he was interested in trying to accommodate Kelley until hearing the objections of board members. McVey added the motion that stated all candidates may be considered.
McVey noted that the board faced a tight timeline. Failure to appoint a replacement within 30 days would kick the decision to the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.
The board is expected to deliberate and choose a candidate at Monday's meeting.
While she won't interview with the board, she made a case for herself during public comment.
"I am a person of integrity. I listen thoughtfully. I seek diversity of thought. I think critically. Ultimately, I am compelled to make decisions that are in the best interests of others," said Kelley, who also said the board would benefit from the experience of an educator. "With Trustees Miller and now Gerbe, the K-12 teaching contingent on the board, having left the board, I think now more than ever, my first-hand understanding of how classrooms run, how our staff functions, and how our students thrive, would be an invaluable addition to this already amazing board."
She presented board members with packets including her resume and endorsements.
More News from Saline
- Saline Community Fair Update Check out the August 1 deadline for Saline Dog of the Year Contest and other fair news.
- Saline Election Preview: Meet Saline City Council Candidate Matthew Aungst Matthew Aungst is running for Saline City Council.
Replies
Ali McDonald
Neighbor
7-09-2025 8:31am
Perhaps we are missing something here? The decision to not find a reasonable accommodation to interview Kelley seems short sighted and contrary to ensuring the best interests of the schools and our children are given top priority. An expectation that Kelley would cancel a trip planned long ago and potentially involving deposits and certainly involving and impacting other people because of a date arbitrarily selected to perform the interviews as well as the implication in one statement that were she committed she would cancel the trip are ludicrous. She devoted her career to our schools and teaching our children. She is genuinely interested, folks.
In our view, this does not speak well of those Board members who were so caught up in procedural minutia and arbitrary timing that they were unable to demonstrate flexibility and compromise to derive a solution that allowed all candidates to be given serious consideration. (And don't tell us it had to do with the public being aware of and able to see the interviews, if that is the plan. The Board certainly knew of this situation long enough to come up with a solution like, oh I don't know, interviewing after the Council meeting, and to publicize that.)
Going to be a bumpy road if this is how these folks continue to handle things. It is easy to draw a hard line where someone wins and someone loses. It is far more productive and challenging to actually come up with win-win solutions.
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Libby Williams
Neighbor
7-09-2025 8:42am
“In our view…” who are you speaking for here?
Libby Williams
Neighbor
7-12-2025 1:49pm
I’ll answer then - not everyone. As for the candidate, I agree that the onus is on her to make it to the meeting. Six other candidates have rearranged their schedules to attend, it is not a requirement to give special consideration. Giving her credentials and resume during public comment was a good idea. The concern from the board about not having a trustee present for a special meeting is valid when it comes to hiring.
Stacey Page
Neighbor
7-09-2025 5:45pm
Sometimes I feel like the some members of the board views this more as a corporation than a community. I understand that Saline Schools are large, but when everything is approached with a big-business, corporate mindset, it starts to lose that sense of connection. I once received a very corporate-sounding response to a problem involving my child, and it felt impersonal and off-putting. Why would you not make accommodations?
N A
Neighbor
7-09-2025 9:52pm
If you want it, you find a way to do the zoom. Probably in Europe which is 5-6 hours ahead, do an early dinner and plug in for the 60min interview. In Australia, wake up at 5a, interview then go back to bed.
If it was the only interview day for a once in a lifetime $250k a year job, you’d find a way.
I support the board, rules were clearly outlined
N A
Neighbor
7-09-2025 9:54pm
If you want it, you find a way to do the zoom. Probably in Europe which is 5-6 hours ahead, do an early dinner and plug in for the 60min interview. In Australia, wake up at 5a, interview then go back to bed.
If it was the only interview day for a once in a lifetime $400k a year job, you’d find a way.
I support the board, conditions were clearly outlined.
