We honor our local school board members in January. This is School Board Recognition Month in Michigan.
The foundation of school leadership provides equal learning opportunities for all students. We’re proud of our three districts, and School Board Recognition Month is the time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our elected trustees.
In the Brandywine, Buchanan and Niles Community School districts, school board members must develop policies and make tough decisions on educational issues that impact the entire community. For all three districts combined, they bear the responsibility for over 50 million dollars in annual budgets, more than 5,000 students in all three districts, more than 600 employees and 22 buildings.
School board members make decisions that affect 1.7 million Michigan children and 13 billion dollars in educational expenditures. They preserve the core of our democracy — public education. We count on these dedicated men and women to help ensure the future of our great country. If you know any of these people, please take time to thank them for their valuable service to our children.

Buchanan
Harvey Burnett
Sandy Tobler
Jim DeVlaminck
Ruth Writer
Dennis Wentworth
Kelly Laesch
Chris Lee

Niles
Greg O’Toole
Dana Daniels
Leigh Jones
Kathy Zeider
Brent Wright
Mark Weber
Mark Wortham

Brandywine
Jerry Tibbs
Janis Exner
Holly Pomranka
Ralph Skinner
Jason Spitler
Dennis Hinsey
Brian Burge

Dowagiac
Larry Schmidt
Ruth Ausra
Claudia Zebell
Doug Kolmodin
Ronda Sullivan
Phyllis Sarabyn
Ronald Jones

Cassopolis
Scott Ward
Lisa Cutting
Susan Horstmann
George Calvert
Jesse Binns
Deb Deubner
Amanda Smego

Edwardsburg
Birdella Holdread
Michael Gordon
Douglas Hall
John Feil
Amy Anderson
Becky Anson
Edward Patzer

Dr. Andrea VanDerLaan, Dr. Dan Applegate, and Dr. John Jarpe are superintendents of Buchanan Schools, Niles Schools and Brandywine Schools, respectively.