Chelsea School Board Election 2022

There is a misconception that only residents of Chelsea City proper can vote in the upcoming school board elections. As a Lima Township Precinct 1 resident and taxpayer supporting Chelsea schools, I can tell you that is absolutely—and thankfully—not true. The decision as to whom will serve on the Chelsea School Board is one of the most important we voters will have the privilege to make this November.

The very institutions that foster and preserve a strong and thriving society—most especially schools at every level—have undergone a tremendous change over the years and not always for the better. Today, instead of a rigorous, age-appropriate curriculum that inspires wonder, reasoned thought, and laughter, K–12 students are taught that skin color trumps everything and that they are the standard by which all other thoughts and actions are measured. This affects communities large and small, and Chelsea has certainly not been immune.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way, and we can do something about it as voters.

There are four candidates running for Chelsea School Board who are dedicated to seeing our schools return to the fundamentals of education. Parents of current or former Chelsea students, Tom Golding, Ross Greenstein, Julianne Mallie, and John Piatt have a shared vision where the students and their education come first. For that to happen, they support a safe and drug-free learning environment; transparency; partnering with parents, students, teachers, and staff; and politically neutral classrooms.

How refreshing! They actually want our teachers to be teachers of what they spent years studying, and they want our students to be students so they have great options for the future.

Over the last several months, Golding, Greenstein, Mallie, and Piatt have worked hard to reach Chelsea-area residents—canvassing hundreds of homes, hosting meet and greets, and participating in forums as well as Sights & Sounds—all to share their vision for our schools and earn our votes. Despite the slings and arrows sent their way, they have demonstrated with grace and determination how they will serve as board members.

It is because of these and so many more reasons that I am eager to vote for each of them and encourage the voters in our community to do the same.

— Samantha Strayer

Lima Township, Precinct 1