The three largest school districts in the area had some leadership positions waiting to be filled when voters headed to the polls recently.

BARK RIVER-HARRIS

In a race for two spots on the Board of Education for the Bark River-Harris School District that had been held by Bill Schmitt and Melissa Pach Kemppainen but challenged by Jeanette Peltier, the incumbents won the vote of the people in the two cross-county townships by a slim margin. Kemppainen earned 873 votes (34.75%); Schmitt, 827 (32.93%); and Peltier, 812 (32.32%).

Bark River Township in Delta County and Harris Township in Menominee County lie within the district, and it was those residents who voted, but Bark River-Harris is often a school of choice for people living outside the district borders.

ESCANABA

Dan Flynn, James Beauchamp, and Jennifer (“JJ”) Johnson-Reeves were elected to the Board of Education for Escanaba Area Public Schools. Tallied results for the four candidates were as follows: Flynn won 5,341 votes (29.22%), Beauchamp recieved 4,990 (27.30%), Johnson-Reeves earned 3,914 (21.41%), and 3,837 (20.97%) went to LeeAnne M. Oman. All of those elected retained their seats.

Beauchamp was first elected to the board in 2018 and has been serving as its president.

Johnson-Reeves, secretary, joined the board in 2022.

Flynn, trustee, first was elected in 2014.

The City of Escanaba and the Townships of Cornell, Ford River and Wells are in the district of Escanaba Area Public Schools.

GLADSTONE

The three positions that were available on the Board of Education for Gladstone have been retained by Steven J. Tackman, Philip J. DeMay and Jesse Seger. Those three, who were acting as president, trustee, and trustee, respectively, had been running against three additional challengers.

Tackman earned 2,612 votes (23.10%); DeMay, 2,191 (19.38%); Seger, 1,652 (14.61%); John Malnar, 1,613 (14.27%); Steven Viau, 1,611 (14.25%); and Diane L. Godfrey, 1,524 (13.48%).

Within the Gladstone Area Schools district are the City of Gladstone, Escanaba Township and Brampton Township.