Michigan State Board of Education
| Michigan State Board of Education | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Total Seats: | 8 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 8 years |
| Authority: | Michigan Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
| Ellen Lipton, Tom McMillin, Judith Pritchett, Pamela Pugh, Mitchell Robinson, Nikki Snyder, Jason Strayhorn, Tiffany Tilley | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Michigan Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Director of Agriculture and Rural Development • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission | |
The Michigan State Board of Education is an elected executive agency of the Michigan state government, responsible for managing the state's public K-12 education. The board's mission is to ensure that "all students graduate ready for careers, college, and community."[1]
Current officeholders
The board is composed of eight voting members who are elected to eight-year terms by the state at large. Elections to the board are held in every even-numbered year. Each party is allowed to nominate up to two candidates in each election, and voters are allowed to vote for two candidates. The two candidates with the most votes are elected to eight-year terms on the board. The board elects a president, secretary, and treasurer from among its members.[2][3]
| Office | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan State Board of Education | Ellen Lipton | Democratic |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Tom McMillin | Republican |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Judith Pritchett | Democratic |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Pamela Pugh | Democratic |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Mitchell Robinson | Democratic |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Nikki Snyder | Republican |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Jason Strayhorn | Democratic |
| Michigan State Board of Education | Tiffany Tilley | Democratic |
Authority
The Michigan State Board of Education was established by the 1963 Michigan Constitution.[4][5]
Michigan Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3:
| Leadership and general supervision over all public education, including adult education and instructional programs in state institutions, except as to institutions of higher education granting baccalaureate degrees, is vested in a state board of education. It shall serve as the general planning and coordinating body for all public education, including higher education, and shall advise the legislature as to the financial requirements in connection therewith. Superintendent of public instruction; appointment, powers, duties. The state board of education shall appoint a superintendent of public instruction whose term of office shall be determined by the board. He shall be the chairman of the board without the right to vote, and shall be responsible for the execution of its policies. He shall be the principal executive officer of a state department of education which shall have powers and duties provided by law. State board of education; members, nomination, election, term. The state board of education shall consist of eight members who shall be nominated by party conventions and elected at large for terms of eight years as prescribed by law. The governor shall fill any vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term. The governor shall be ex-officio a member of the state board of education without the right to vote. Boards of institutions of higher education, limitation. The power of the boards of institutions of higher education provided in this constitution to supervise their respective institutions and control and direct the expenditure of the institutions’ funds shall not be limited by this section. |
Qualifications
Section 388.1006 of the Michigan Compiled Laws prohibits members of the board from being involved in any way with the publication of schoolbooks.[6]
Section 388.1006:
| A member of the state board of education shall not act as the agent of any publisher of school books or school library books or be interested in the publication or sale of any such book as agent or otherwise. |
Elections
Members of the Michigan State Board of Education are elected at large to eight-year terms. Two seats on the board are up for election in each even-numbered year. Candidates are not elected to a specific seat; rather, each party is allowed to nominate up to two candidates, and voters are allowed to vote for two candidates. The top two candidates in the race are each elected to a seat on the board.
2024
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
General election
The general election will occur on November 5, 2024.
2022
General election
General election for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Michigan State Board of Education on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Pamela Pugh (D) | 25.2 | 2,068,706 | |
| ✔ |  | Mitchell Robinson (D) | 24.2 | 1,989,022 |
| Tami Carlone (R) | 23.3 | 1,914,330 | ||
| Linda Lee Tarver (R) | 22.8 | 1,873,715 | ||
| Mary Anne Hering (Working Class Party) | 1.7 | 135,789 | ||
| Donna Gundle-Krieg (L) | 1.1 | 87,353 | ||
| Bill Hall (L) | 1.1 | 87,316 | |
| Ethan Hobson (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | 0.6 | 48,248 | ||
| Total votes: 8,204,479 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Incumbent Pamela Pugh and Mitchell Robinson advanced from the Democratic convention for Michigan State Board of Education on August 21, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Pamela Pugh (D) | |
| ✔ | | Mitchell Robinson (D) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Tami Carlone and Linda Lee Tarver advanced from the Republican convention for Michigan State Board of Education on August 27, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Tami Carlone (R) | |
| ✔ | Linda Lee Tarver (R) | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Donna Gundle-Krieg and Bill Hall advanced from the Libertarian convention for Michigan State Board of Education on July 10, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Donna Gundle-Krieg (L) | |
| ✔ | | Bill Hall (L) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention
U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Ethan Hobson advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for Michigan State Board of Education on July 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Ethan Hobson (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Working Class Party convention
Working Class Party convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Mary Anne Hering advanced from the Working Class Party convention for Michigan State Board of Education on June 26, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Mary Anne Hering (Working Class Party) | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
General election
General election for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Michigan State Board of Education on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ellen Lipton (D) | 24.6 | 2,472,087 | |
| ✔ | Jason Strayhorn (D) | 23.5 | 2,368,523 | |
| Michelle Frederick (R) | 23.0 | 2,316,051 | |
| Tami Carlone (R) | 22.8 | 2,291,915 | ||
| Mary Anne Hering (Working Class Party) | 1.5 | 147,345 | ||
| Bill Hall (L) | 1.2 | 124,758 | |
| Richard Hewer (L) | 0.9 | 91,661 | |
| Hali McEachern (Working Class Party) | 0.8 | 82,700 | |
| Karen Adams (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) | 0.8 | 80,299 | |
| Tom Mair (G) | 0.6 | 58,397 | |
| Douglas Levesque (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) | 0.3 | 34,033 | |
| Total votes: 10,067,769 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Ellen Lipton and Jason Strayhorn advanced from the Democratic convention for Michigan State Board of Education on August 29, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Ellen Lipton (D) | |
| ✔ | Jason Strayhorn (D) | |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Tami Carlone and Michelle Frederick advanced from the Republican convention for Michigan State Board of Education on August 29, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Tami Carlone (R) | |
| ✔ | | Michelle Frederick (R) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Green convention
Green convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Tom Mair advanced from the Green convention for Michigan State Board of Education on June 20, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Mair (G) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Bill Hall and Richard Hewer advanced from the Libertarian convention for Michigan State Board of Education on July 18, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Hall (L) |
| ✔ | | Richard Hewer (L) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention
U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Karen Adams and Douglas Levesque advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for Michigan State Board of Education on July 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Karen Adams (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) |
| ✔ | | Douglas Levesque (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Working Class Party convention
Working Class Party convention for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
Mary Anne Hering and Hali McEachern advanced from the Working Class Party convention for Michigan State Board of Education on July 26, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Mary Anne Hering (Working Class Party) | |
| ✔ | | Hali McEachern (Working Class Party) |
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Michigan State Board of Education (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Michigan State Board of Education on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Judith Pritchett (D) | 25.2 | 1,830,312 | |
| ✔ | Tiffany Tilley (D) | 24.0 | 1,743,379 | |
| Tami Carlone (R) | 22.3 | 1,615,129 | ||
| Richard Zeile (R) | 20.3 | 1,473,904 | ||
| Mary Anne Hering (Working Class Party) | 1.7 | 125,693 | ||
| Scott Boman (L) | 1.7 | 125,309 | ||
| Logan Smith (Working Class Party) | 1.3 | 91,077 | |
| John Tatar (L) | 1.1 | 80,414 | |
| Karen Adams (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | 1.0 | 72,639 | |
| Sherry A. Wells (G) | 0.8 | 61,493 | ||
| Douglas Levesque (U.S. Taxpayers Party) | 0.4 | 32,326 | |
| Total votes: 7,251,675 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Term limits
There are no term limits to the Michigan State Board of Education.
Historical elections
Full history
Note: Due to the lack of historical officeholder information, incumbency information may be unavailable for elections to this office before 2006.
To view the electoral history dating back to 2000 for the office of Michigan State Board of Education, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Vacancies
The procedure for filling vacancies on the board is established in Article VIII, Section 3 of the Michigan Constitution. In the event of a vacancy on the board, the governor appoints a successor to fill the remainder of the former board member's term.[5]
Michigan Constitution, Article VIII, Section 3 (excerpt):
| The governor shall fill any vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term. |
Duties
In addition to the duties laid out in the Michigan Constitution, which include oversight of the state's public education and appointment of the state superintendent, the board has several additional duties laid out by statute.[7]
Section 388.1008a:
| (1) The state board of education may take any necessary action consistent with state law to comply with the provisions of Public Law 85-864 (1958), as amended, being 20 U.S.C. sections 401 et seq., and known as the “federal national defense education act of 1958”, and to accept and expend federal funds available under that act for the extension and improvement of the state's educational program, as outlined in state plans approved by the United States commissioner of education.
(2) The state board of education may take any necessary action consistent with state law to comply with the provisions of Public Law 89-329 (1965), as amended, being 20 U.S.C. sections 1001 et seq., and known as the “higher education act of 1965” to strengthen the educational resources of Michigan colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in post-secondary and higher education through a program of administration, research, and consultation. The state board of education may accept and expend federal funds available under such provisions and promulgate rules necessary for the conduct of this program. The state board of education shall submit to the legislature on or before April 1 of each year a report of projects conducted during the preceding year under the federal higher education act of 1965, as amended. (3) This shall not be construed as authorization to expend nor to incur any obligation to expend any state funds in excess of any amount which may be appropriated by the legislature for programs under subsections (1) and (2). Any funds appropriated shall be paid out of the state treasury in accordance with any fund accounting procedures necessary to assure proper distribution of and accounting for federal funds paid to the state for these programs. |
Section 388.1008a of the Michigan Compiled Laws grants the Michigan State Board of Education responsibility for accepting and distributing funds from the federal government to Michigan schools.
Section 388.1008b:
| The superintendent of public instruction may take by gift, grant from federal or other sources, devise, bequest, or in any other lawful manner, property, money, pledges, or promises to pay money for the benefit of students who are blind. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 8, the state treasurer shall transmit to the superintendent of public instruction all of this money that is held in the state treasury. The superintendent of public instruction shall place this money and grants in a special fund to be spent as authorized by the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes for which they were donated subject to the conditions of the gift, grant, devise, or bequest without further approval of the legislature unless additional costs to the state will be involved in the spending of these funds. The superintendent of public instruction shall submit a report of all funds received and expended under this section to the senate and house committees on appropriations. |
Section 388.1008b of the Michigan Compiled Laws charges the board with managing funds intended for the education of blind students.
Section 388.1010:
| The state board of education shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) Jurisdiction and control of the Michigan school for the deaf at Flint, the Michigan school for the blind at Lansing, and the Michigan rehabilitation institute for veterans and disabled adults at Pine lake, including power to make rules for the schools necessary to enforce discipline, preserve health, and provide for proper physical, intellectual, and moral training of their pupils. (b) Regulation of school bus transportation, review of the annexation or attachment of nonoperating school districts to operating school districts, and the hearing of appeals from decisions on alterations of boundaries of school districts as may be provided by law. The board may appoint a hearing officer to hear the appeals from decisions on alterations of boundaries of school districts who shall prepare a written report for consideration of the board. A copy of the written report shall be furnished to the designated appellant and appellee, who within 20 days may file written objections to the report with the state board of education for its consideration. After considering the report of the hearing officer and any objections filed by interested parties, the board may determine the appeal or order a hearing by it of the appeal from the decision on alterations of boundaries of school districts. (c) Inspection of educational corporations as may be provided by law. (d) The appointment of the members of the state board for public community and junior colleges, as provided by law. |
Section 388.1010 of the Michigan Compiled Laws charges the board with management of certain specific schools throughout the state, as well as with regulating school buses throughout the state, inspecting educational corporations, and appointing members to the state board for public community and junior colleges.
State budget
- See also: Michigan state budget and finances
The budget for the State Department of Education for the 2024 fiscal year was $647,380,900.[8]
Compensation
Members of the Michigan State Board of Education are entitled to a per diem compensation defined each year by the state legislature in addition to reimbursement for expenses incurred while carrying out the business of the board under Section 388.1005 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.[7]
Section 388.1005:
| The per diem compensation of members of the board and the schedule for reimbursement of expenses shall be established annually by the legislature. |
Former officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Michigan State Board of Education has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Contact information
Michigan Department of Education
608 West Allegan Street
P.O. Box 30008
Lansing, Michigan 48909
Phone: 833-633-5788
Fax: 517-355-4565
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan Department of Education, "About the Michigan Department of Education School Discipline Toolkit," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Legislature, "Section 388.1003," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Department of Education, "Meet the Board," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Department of Education, "State Board of Education," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Michigan Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Michigan," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ Michigan Legislature, "Section 388.1006," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Michigan Legislature, "MCL Chapter Index," accessed January 25, 2021
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "FY 2024 Budget," accessed December 6, 2023
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