School board

Board of Education Member, Ann Arbor Public Schools

4 Year Term

Vote for: 4
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 9
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A school board member is one of the officials who set policy, approve the budget and hire the superintendent of the school district.

Candidates Compare by issue

Lyndon Dibble

No party listed

University of Michigan student

The gist

Supports removing screens from K-8 classrooms.

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Supports removing screens from K-8 classrooms.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“I want screens out of our classrooms”

Kelley Ellis

No party listed

Pediatric nurse practitioner

The gist

Proposes raising enrollment to increase state funding.

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Proposes raising enrollment to increase state funding.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“increase enrollment because funding follows students”

Becca Hogan

No party listed

PTO Council board member

The gist

Supports addressing racial gaps in student achievement.

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Supports addressing racial gaps in student achievement.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“The rates in which our Black students are performing at is abysmal compared to the white students”

Jennifer Oldham

No party listed

Founder, Thurston Math Club

The gist

Proposes cutting student technology and standardized testing costs.

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Proposes cutting student technology and standardized testing costs.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“What's not directly essential to education and safety? Technology for students and standardized testing”

Aaron J. Puno

No party listed

University of Michigan student

The gist

Pledges monthly board review of facilities repair spending.

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Pledges monthly board review of facilities repair spending.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“Let’s talk about it every month and we’ll bring in outside accountants if we have to”

Carolyn Siebers

No party listed

Retired educator

The gist

Supports a budget centered on student learning.
Supports reducing digital instruction and restoring print materials.

More about Carolyn

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Supports a budget centered on student learning.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“Our budget should directly reflect our commitment to student learning”
Supports reducing digital instruction and restoring print materials.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“take a hard look at digital instruction and bring back the print materials”

Brandon Smith

No party listed

Teacher, Saline High School

The gist

Supports directing more district dollars to students.

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Supports directing more district dollars to students.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“reverse the trend of more and more dollars going further away from students”

Andy Spencer

No party listed

Scientist

The gist

Supports formal student and family participation in decisions.

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Supports formal student and family participation in decisions.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“I would support durable mechanisms of student and family participation”

Rima Mohammad

No party listedIncumbent

AAPS board trustee; University of Michigan clinical professor of pharmacy

The gist

Supports a one-year pause on student generative AI.

More about Rima

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Supports a one-year pause on student generative AI.
Board of Education candidates present vision for Ann Arbor Public Schools at candidate forum
Debate / forum transcript · The Michigan Daily · michigandaily.com
“I strongly support a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 2 issues covered in this race.