Meeting Notes: November 24, 2025

Public comment, budget update, pool update, and final comments

To cut down on time and cost, I’ve chosen Gemini to summarize meeting notes. Provided the audio quality is decent, Gemini does a good job at being objective, and cheap (free).

This is a comprehensive summary of the Tecumseh Public Schools Board of Education Meeting held on Monday, November 24, 2025, detailing good news, critical public comments, a structural engineering report on the school pool, financial updates, and discussions on future planning and curriculum. This summary is provided with video links by Google’s Gemini (AI).

I. Opening and Good News Report (Good News from Mr. Hilton)

The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Secretary Brooks [00:57]. Superintendent Mr. Hilton then presented the “Good News” report, starting with exciting updates from the LSD Tech Center, which announced its “TRADES Awards” recipients for the first marking period of the 2025-2026 school year [01:33]. The acronym TRADES stands for Teamwork, Responsibility, Attitude, Dependability, Effort, and Safety, and the honored high school students were recognized for setting a positive example in their technical training [01:40].

Mr. Hilton continued by sharing two staff shout-outs, which he noted are a way to recognize the staff who are the “heart and soul of our school district” [03:56].

• Mr. McKinch (Band Program): He was praised as the “driving force in Tecumseh’s band program,” who inspires children to not only start playing an instrument but to continue throughout their TPS career, showing his love for the students and the entire music department [02:50].

• Mr. Tony Falsgraph (Second Grade Teacher, Sutton): He was recognized as a “wonderful teacher” who enters the classroom daily with a positive attitude, listens to his students, and makes learning fun and exciting, leading the children to thrive on his energy [03:23].

Additionally, Mr. Hilton mentioned the school choir, led by Mr. Simon Saboski, who toured downtown carolling for businesses and patrons during the city’s holiday open house on Friday, November 7th [04:08]. Instead of showing a video, he announced that the choir will soon be performing live at a future board meeting [04:40]. Finally, Mr. Hilton expressed his gratitude for the Board, staff, and the Tecumseh Public Schools community ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday [05:00].

II. Public Comment and Key Discussions

The board opened the floor for public comment, limiting speakers to three minutes in accordance with the Open Meeting Act [05:40]. A significant portion of the commentary focused on two primary topics: the status of the school pool and concerns regarding the I Wellness program.

Advocacy for the Pool and Swim Program

Multiple speakers, representing the local swim community, emphasized the critical importance of the high school pool and the swim program to the district and the community:

• Patrick Gray (Parent): He thanked the board for its hard work and praised the school system for offering great programs like the arts and swimming, which create “well-rounded students” [06:52]. Speaking specifically about the importance of swimming in the Great Lakes State, he asserted that no one should leave a Michigan school system without knowing how to swim, and that lacking a true system to teach swimming is a “true failure of any school system” [07:20]. He highlighted that the sport teaches grit, teamwork, and how to deal with adversity, providing an outlet for kids who might not be in other sports [07:44].

• Betsy Berg (High School Swim Coach): She asked the Board to “put faces to the people that are at the pool” [01:11:55] as they hear negative reports about maintenance. She stated that the swim community is active and willing to help find money to support the pool, urging the Board to “reach out to us” before making a final decision [01:12:43]. She pointed out that nearby communities like Dundee, Chelsea, and Adrian are planning for or already have two pools, stressing that Tecumseh “need[s] at least one” [01:13:23].

• Olivia Gray (Freshman Swimmer/Lifeguard): She elaborated on the impact, noting the swim team “isn’t dying” but lacks a pool [01:15:53]. She emphasized the community aspect, which includes open swim and lap swim, and the fact that many teenagers rely on lifeguard jobs at the pool for their gas or high school money [01:16:10].

• Seber (Senior/Swim Team Captain/Former Employee): She shared her personal story, stating she moved to Tecumseh in the fourth grade “because of the pool for the swim program” [01:17:33]. She expressed concern that not having a pool could lead to a loss of students, as other swimmers have discussed leaving, impacting student population and overall enrollment [01:17:17]. She also noted she and others lost their jobs when the pool closed [01:16:50].

Concerns Regarding the iWellness Program

Jacob Willey used his time to read an excerpt from a Detroit Free Press article published that morning, which raised serious questions about the school’s iWellness check-in survey [09:18]:

• The article stated that the check-in survey has not been the subject of peer-reviewed research to prove its scientific validity [09:34].

• An expert told the Free Press that the founder, Whitney Foley, who is described as a certified wellness coach, is “not licensed in mental health or behavioral health fields by the state” and has an undergraduate degree in communications and advertising [09:55].

• A Tecumseh parent expressed concern over data usage, as i-Wellness’s online terms specify the company can use de-identified data for any lawful purpose, which a privacy expert noted can be “incredibly difficult” to properly achieve, given the sensitive nature of the data collected [01:06:20].

• State Representative Tim Kelly was quoted saying, “Clearly I think there ought to be better vetting of these programs” [01:04:31], and the article noted that iWellness has spent over $14,000 on lobbying in 2025 [01:05:40].

III. Pool Structural Report (Troy Madlin from Magnus Associates)

The structural investigation of the pool was a major agenda item. Josh Addison, Director of Operations, explained that the pool project began with planned repairs to the roof and mechanical issues as part of the sinking fund plan [46:41]. However, further investigation and concerns about the building’s steel structure led to selective demolition and scaffolding to conduct testing [47:13]. The report on the findings was received on Friday, November 21st. Christine Kennedy of Whiteitman and Associates introduced Troy Madlin, the structural engineer from Magnus Associates, to present the findings [48:56].

The report detailed significant corrosion found on the steel members within the building’s wall and roof structure. Specific findings included:

• Delamination and Corrosion: The engineer reported corrosion and “delamination” (separation into layers) of the steel columns inside the walls of the pool area [01:09:24].

• Extent of Corrosion: When asked by Trustee Davis how far into the columns the corrosion extended, the engineer indicated that the severity of the damage, particularly around the connections and in the columns, would necessitate a full replacement of certain sections [01:09:50].

• Original Coating: It was confirmed that the steel, which was constructed over 30 years ago, was originally protected only with a primer coat, not a robust, long-term protective coating [01:12:17].

Mr. Addison reiterated that the purpose of this meeting was solely to discuss the findings of the report, and a detailed discussion of repair options and future plans would be presented in December and January [48:00]. Trustee Martinez later commended Mr. Hilton and Mr. Addison for their decision to close the pool, stating that seeing the pictures of the damage confirmed the immediate safety priority [01:40:11].

IV. Action Items and Votes

The board moved quickly through action items:

• Agenda Revision (Closed Session): A motion was made to remove the scheduled closed session [01:18:27]. Mr. Hilton explained that the State of Michigan’s budget included Section 31A funding for mental health and safety, which now requires school districts to give up their right to attorney-client privilege in the event of a “mass casualty event” (defined broadly as an accident or fight, not just a worst-case scenario) [01:19:42]. Due to evolving legal suits and continuous deadline extensions by the Michigan Department of Education, the administration advised against making a decision immediately, noting they could opt-in for the funds but still resend the application by December 30th [01:21:44]. The closed session was removed to allow for more time to monitor the situation.

• AP Research Course Adoption: The board approved the adoption of the new AP Research course [01:14:15]. Student Representative Tucker Cole spoke in strong support, highlighting that AP classes are an invaluable resource that allows students, like himself, to save money by accumulating nearly a year’s worth of college credits before graduation [01:14:51].

• Consent Agenda: The consent agenda, including the minutes from the November 10, 2025, regular board meeting, was approved [01:16:44].

V. Superintendent’s Report on Enrollment Trends

Mr. Hilton presented a report on enrollment trends, focusing on Young Fives and Kindergarten as indicators of future stability [01:17:25].

• Overall and Early Childhood Enrollment: The district saw a slight but overall stabilizationof total enrollment for the current year (2394 students) after a decline in previous years [01:17:59]. More positively, the district is experiencing one of its strongest kindergarten enrollments in four years, with 175 kindergarten-specific students. This trend is significant, suggesting “more families who live here are staying here rather than taking schools of choice options to other school districts” [01:19:12]. The combined Young Fives and Kindergarten enrollment for the year is 215 students, showing growth of a class size [01:20:50]. School of Choice enrollment for these early grades remains stable, ranging from 34 to 41 students [01:20:26].

• Long-Term Context and Projections: Mr. Hilton revisited a study on birth rates in Lenoway County for future planning [01:21:45]. The data showed:

  • Lenoway County’s public school enrollment declined by roughly 1,000 students between 2019 and 2024 [01:22:13].

  • County birth rates have decreased drastically over the years, from a high of 1,271 in 2006 to 881 in 2024 [01:23:07].

  • While Tecumseh beat projections this year, future projections suggest that the district will likely no longer see kindergarten-specific class sizes of 200-plus students [01:24:58]. The core challenge, which is not unique to Tecumseh, is that graduating senior classes will continue to be larger than incoming Young Fives and Kindergarten classes [01:25:25]. This fact, he concluded, makes finding “budgeting efficiencies” and improving the fund balance critically important [01:25:42].

VI. Board Member Discussion and Planning

The board discussion covered various forward-looking initiatives:

• Budget Committee as a Committee of the Whole: Trustee Brooks suggested that the Board consider converting the Budget Committee to a “Committee of the Whole” [01:30:17]. Citing research from the MASB Annual Leadership Conference, she noted that 41% of Michigan school districts utilize this model, arguing it would allow all trustees to hear detailed financial presentations and ask questions simultaneously, improving public transparency [01:30:47].

• iWellness/Data Privacy Follow-up: The Board picked up on the iWellness issue raised during public comment, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive review of the contract to ensure the district is being “cautious enough” with third-party groups and that student information is adequately protected, especially concerning the difficulties of fully anonymizing data [01:33:41].

• Future Curriculum (AI): Trustee Simpson proposed developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) class for the students [01:42:07]. He argued that AI is already revolutionizing the world and job market and that teaching students how to use prompts and leverage the technology is a crucial skill for their future success [01:42:52].

• Recruitment Data: Student Representative Tucker Cole asked for data on what specifically draws School of Choice students to the district—is it the AP classes, specific sports like lacrosse, or other factors—to better target recruitment efforts [01:44:04].

The meeting adjourned following a final thanks to the students and parents who came to speak [01:47:19].

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Jake’s Thoughts

My Last Public Comment at TPS

This is my public comment. My prepared comments were intended to urge the board to look into the iWellness project. As you may recall from our last board meeting, Anthony Alaniz announced that we would be sitting in the press section from now on, since we are effectively the press now. When I arrived at this week’s board meeting, I noticed that two of the three press tables were turned upside down, preventing anyone but the Herald’s reporters from taking a seat. It angered me, and that anger came across in what was supposed to be a neutral public comment.

I would mention that that David Panian, reporter for the Tecumseh Herald, is a good friend of ours and a great guy. After the meeting, David offered for Anthony to sit next to him in the press section any time we like. I would also mention that I regret being angry when I made my comment. I don’t know who gave the order to flip the press tables, but I’m confident that most, if not all, of the board members were unaware that this occurred.

As for my comment about finally recognizing Joe McInchak’s accomplishments after threatening his job two years ago, the comment was not directed at Mr. Hilton as it was his predecessor who made that call. I stand by what I said to this specific audience because some of the current board members were responsible for Rick Hilderley’s appointment. I set my mind to be more objective, but I guess it’s still a raw nerve with me.

I’m grateful to the board members who called for more information on the iWellness program. I regret that it had to make the front pages of the Detroit Free Press to change minds when two bloggers right here in town were sounding the alarm months ago, but I’ll take the progress as a win. To be clear, I’ve never been against the concept of iWellness, only its irresponsible execution and lack of transparency (+false claims) from the creators. Oh, and the cost.

For more on iWellness, check out my prior article.

Talk Nerdy To Me

Steve Lenar, the individual who has been combing through our budget after the 2% variance issue, is a rockstar. One comment he made had me particularly giddy. He pointed to a line item called “miscellaneous” and noted that in budgeting, we don’t put things in miscellaneous columns, we itemize them! His short briefing was a breath of fresh air. I don’t know if he’s going to stay on at any capacity, but I know after going through revenue, he will be going through our expenses next. There has still been no end-of-year update to the Munetrix site, but I am confident what Mr. Lenar comes up with will be accurate.

Ending on a Good Note

A special thanks to all the staff, educators, and board members who wished Holly and I safe travels this weekend. It was bittersweet to say the least.

Thanks for reading, and happy Thanksgiving!