VOTE411 Voter Guide

Giving Back to the District: My family has benefited greatly from Hartland schools, including three successful graduates, and I want to give back to the community that made that possible. I have seen how dedicated educators help students succeed when supported by families, administrators, and the broader community.

Commitment to Students: I believe every student in our district deserves the same high-quality education and meaningful opportunities that my family experienced.

Building a Strong Future: By engaging and collaborating with all community stakeholders, we will foster a bright future and keep Hartland a premier school district for years to come.

Restoring Cooperation and Focus:I see this election as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation within the Board and across the school community, including administrators, faculty, families, and residents. Greater collaboration will help keep the focus on what matters most: students, strong schools, and Hartland’s long-term success.

Leadership and Project Management: I bring 30+ years of technical leadership in complex automotive laboratory environments. As a Senior Systems Engineer and Project Manager, I have led cross-functional teams through major infrastructure projects, balancing technical requirements, timelines, budgets, and stakeholder needs.

Strategic Planning and Fiscal Responsibility: My strategic planning roles have helped me use data, evaluate long-term needs, and make decisions that support success. As an Operations Department Manager, I also manage multimillion-dollar budgets with discipline and accountability.

Collaboration and Student Perspective: I have negotiated complex issues with diverse groups, representing my company while working with union members and leadership to complete five contracts since 2007. As a former Division I football player and longtime band volunteer, I also understand the value of teamwork, discipline, and extracurricular programs in helping students grow.

Strengths: Hartland’s greatest strength is its dedicated, caring faculty. Many teachers are Hartland graduates or have children in the district, showing a deep investment in the schools and community. The district also offers a broad and deep curriculum, including AP and dual-enrollment options, trades and career pathways, and strong music and art programs. Hartland also remains focused on core skills such as reading, writing, and math, all while maintaining strong performance and spending below the state average per pupil.

Weaknesses: The district’s main challenge is limited collaboration within the Board and between some Board members, administrators, and faculty. Breaks in trust can weaken support for priorities such as curriculum work and local millage elections. Strong schools depend on open communication and good faith among the Board, staff, families, and community. Rebuilding trust will help teachers work effectively and help families feel connected to the schools.

Longstanding Community Service: I have volunteered in the Hartland community for 20 years, supporting students, families, and local organizations.

Youth Athletics: I coached 10 seasons of HAYAA girls softball and boys basketball, helping young athletes build skills, teamwork, and confidence.

Support for Music Programs: For eight years, I served as Treasurer of the Hartland Band Boosters, helping manage a six-figure annual budget that supported students and music programs across the district. I also served seven years as a band camp chaperone.

Church Leadership: At Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church, I served six years as Secretary of the church board, including during a major capital campaign and school building expansion.

Continued Service: I view running for this position as another meaningful way to serve Hartland and contribute to its continued success.

JEFF SCOTT: I am seeking re-election to the Hartland Board of Education to keep the focus on transparency, accountability, and student safety. I have three children in the district and want Hartland to be a high performing, fiscally responsible school system that puts academics, students, and parents first. The 2027 board will almost certainly hire the next superintendent, the most important decision this board will make in a decade. I want a leader who shares Hartland’s commitment to excellence, safety, and local decision making, not someone who imports national political fights into our classrooms.

JEFF SCOTT: As a sitting board member I already know how the District operates, which matters in a year when the board will likely hire the next superintendent. I have served two years and, before that, spent years as an involved parent and taxpayer watching the board work and lobbying for families. I prepare for every issue: I read the documents, ask follow-up questions, and if information the board needs is not provided, I use the Freedom of Information Act to get it. This is something I did as a citizen and have had to do as a Trustee. I will always put students, academics, and safety first in Hartland.

JEFF SCOTT: Hartland is a high performing District and for that reason many families move here and choose us through Schools of Choice. On several statewide comparisons we sit near the top 10% of Michigan districts. The weakness is consistency: results still vary too much by building and by subject, and some scores have not kept pace with where our students should be. That is not a call for a teardown. It is a call for a new Superintendent with a record of finding those gaps and fixing them, and a Board that gives that person support while demanding measurable academic gains. I expect to see Hartland in the top tier of Michigan districts.

JEFF SCOTT; I serve as a 4-H Volunteer, a program I love because all of my children can do it together. I am also a member of the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students), which puts fathers in the elementary building as positive role models. I sit on the Tyrone Township Zoning Board of Appeals. In addition to that volunteer work, I serve as a Hartland School Board Trustee, including on the Superintendent Evaluation Committee that sets goals for the Superintendent and District.