Age
44
Occupation / Current Position
Mental Health/Substance Use Clinician
Education
Master's Degree in Counseling
Experience & Qualifications
Currently a licensed professional counselor and co-executive director of Realism Is Loyalty. Over the last 20 years I have worked advocating for youth and families in a variety of different systems. This includes education, juvenile justice, mental health, foster care systems.
Campaign Phone
616-821-2036
Throughout my career I have navigated different systems which I believe has prepared me for leadership. Starting with my experience at Kent County Family Court and following throughout my career. Integrity, transparency and honesty have kept me grounded throughout my career. Currently, I am employed at Realism Is Loyalty, which I have helped lead from a one program organization with a 48k annual budget to a four program, fully staffed organization with a 1 million dollar annual budget. This allowed me to experience the governance process as both a leader and visionary promoting out of the box thinking as well as playing a role in creating and adhering to the guidelines and policies.
It is my belief that student achievement happens when scholars have the skills, tools and knowledge to help them become successful inside and outside of the classroom. Embracing the fact that all scholars have different learning styles and creating curriculums or learning opportunities that cater to a diverse group of learning styles. Encouraging student collaboration, parental involvement, and social emotional learning by using interactive learning, group discussions and peer support feedback
Funding seems to be a major issue, attracting and retaining quality staff, chronic absenteeism from students, and lack of engagement from families (due to multiple reasons).
My priority is to stay committed to first listening and then researching what has worked, and what has not worked and why it didn't work. Based on the current resources available.
Grand Rapids Public Schools is a major corporation and as an organization leader I understand that a clear understanding of the budget can only be gleaned if you have all the relevant information. Until I have all the necessary information, I can't commit to any specific budget priorities.
Age
30
Occupation / Current Position
International Programs Specialist for International Needs US // Medical Services Officer for US Army
Education
BS Political Science, Northwestern University; MS Management Studies, Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University); Master of Public Administration (MPA), Lincoln Memorial University; Master
Experience & Qualifications
Professional athlete, volunteer firefighter, US Army Reservist (with overseas deployment), collegiate athletic director, international community development leader, nonprofit board member, husband and father, church member, neighbor and lifelong learner.
Campaign Phone
616-245-7344
My background has consistently centered on leadership, service, and bringing people together around a common mission. I have served as an Army Civil Affairs Specialist, worked in international nonprofit leadership, managed programs and projects, served as an athletic director, and worked with schools and community organizations in the U.S. and abroad. I also hold graduate degrees in business management and public administration. These roles required budgeting, personnel leadership, strategic planning, financial analysis, and accountability. On the Board, I would bring those skills while respecting the expertise of educators and focusing on priorities, leadership, oversight, and results.
Improving student achievement starts with strong instruction in reading, writing, math, science, and the skills students need after graduation. GRPS should use reliable data to identify where students are struggling, intervene early, and evaluate whether programs are working. Early (3rd grade) literacy deserves special attention. Teachers need safe, orderly classrooms and strong leadership, and parents should be treated as essential partners. We should learn from schools and educators getting strong results, expand what works, and change what does not. The goal is simple: students should leave GRPS prepared for college, skilled work, military service, entrepreneurship, or another productive path.
Schools must ensure students can read, write, reason mathematically, think critically, and graduate prepared for adulthood. They must also address attendance, behavior, mental health, technology, social media, and the effects of smartphones on learning. We must learn the lessons of technology's impact on mental health while preparing students to thrive in an era of rapid change brought by AI. Parents should be treated as essential partners, while educators deserve respect and support. Districts must also attract and retain strong staff while using limited resources wisely. Public schools are strongest when communities can disagree respectfully while staying focused on helping students learn and grow.
A school district budget should reflect its priorities. My first priority would be protecting resources that most directly affect students: strong teachers and school leaders, core academics, and safe, functional schools. The Board should closely examine program outcomes, administrative costs, enrollment trends, staffing, facilities, and long-term obligations. When cuts are necessary, I would first look for duplication, inefficiency, and spending that is not producing measurable value before reducing effective classroom programs. Budgeting should also be transparent, understandable, and focused on long-term financial stability and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Age
35
Occupation / Current Position
Public Administrator
Education
Bachelors
Experience & Qualifications
I have Bachelor of Science from Western Michigan University. Most of my career since has been in public service. I was Legislative Assistant for State Representative Rachel Hood. Served as Director of Policy and Engagement at the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP for over five years, leading civil rights, environmental justice work, and creating the GR NAACP Expungement Program
Campaign Phone
616-320-4829
As the City of Grand Rapids' Business Developer, I manage the Equal Business Opportunity Program, overseeing budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships to ensure public dollars are spent equitably and effectively. That work requires close coordination with internal staff, local businesses, and partners, giving me real experience navigating institutional budgets and cross sector decision making. My experience working in and with government has taught me how to connect management and ideas, turning intentions into real outcomes.
Before that, I served as Director of Policy & Engagement at the GR NAACP, and as a Legislative Assistant. As a GRPS product, I understand this district personally, not just professionally.
Student achievement starts with stability. GRPS is losing experienced teachers to nearby districts, and that turnover hurts classroom consistency. I want to close that pay gap and give educators more autonomy at the building level, since they know their students best.
I also want to address resources stretched too thin, especially mental health and wraparound support, so students aren't carrying burdens that impede learning.
Finally, I want stronger connections between schools and local employers, so students see real pathways ahead of them, which drives engagement and achievement.
The most pressing issue in my opinion is teacher pay and retention. GRPS has struggled to retain experienced teachers, and that turnover directly affects students. Funding is closely connected to this. GRPS receives the same state dollars as neighboring districts, and I want the board to be more transparent about whether those dollars are reaching classrooms as effectively as they could.
Declining enrollment is also forcing hard conversations about consolidation, and those decisions need transparency and community input, not just administrative recommendations.
Underneath it all is a basic truth: schools can't function well in isolation from the housing and economic realities educators, students and their families face.
My top priority is protecting classroom impact. As enrollment declines, GRPS carries more buildings, overhead, and staffing than it needs, and consolidation will likely mean real, difficult cuts, including some teaching positions. I'd rather be honest about that than pretend otherwise.
Where I want to direct savings is toward retaining the teachers we keep, through fair pay and more autonomy at the building level, since retention is already one of our biggest cost drivers. I also want more transparency around spending, so the public understands the tradeoffs behind decisions, not just outcomes.
Finally, I'd look at partnerships, including with local businesses, to bring in additional resources without relying solely on cuts.
Age
38
Occupation / Current Position
Education Data Collection Analyst
Education
Bachelor's of Arts University of Michigan, Master of Public Administration Georgia State University
Experience & Qualifications
Management Fellow for the City of Wichita, State Budget Analyst of State of Michigan, Education Data Collection Analyst for the
Campaign Phone
6162841716
With a decade in public service and education data at the Center for Educational Performance and Information, I support transparency on MISchoolData.org to drive accountability. Previously, I served the State of Michigan as a state budget analyst. I also supported youth in civic engagement as a Management Fellow for the City of Wichita. I hold a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University. Beyond my professional background, I approach this work with deep humility, whether volunteering with the Special Olympics, washing dishes at Jackson Street Hall, or growing up working at my family's produce market.
To boost student achievement, we must foster a culture of continuous improvement and set high standards. With third-grade ELA proficiency at 20% and one third of GRPS teachers in their first three years of the profession, we must ensure our educators are continuously improving and staying at GRPS with appropriate compensation, coaching support, and collaborative relationships that help educators thrive. We also need to support teachers with proven training in the science of reading, monitor implementation with fidelity, and protect resources that drive results. Integrating data driven goals supports accountability and high expectations for our students.
Our public schools face interconnected issues regarding educator compensation, chronic absenteeism, and whole child support. A recent study found that inflation-adjusted teacher salaries in Michigan peaked back in 1995, highlighting the financial strain on our workforce. To recruit and retain quality educators, we must prioritize supporting them with competitive compensation. Additionally, with over 40% of GRPS students chronically absent, we must address root causes. Children face complex mental health challenges, we must ensure robust counseling and social work services to support the whole child.
When balancing the budget, my priority is investing in student outcomes and belonging. Facing declining enrollment, we must streamline our district structures and build economies of scale to better support our workforce. To capture additional revenue and meet family demand, we should explore flexible learning options modeled by successful districts statewide. We must also deepen local partnerships to expand extracurriculars and resources. Ultimately, our budget must protect proven investments that drive student achievement. When our community invests in GRPS, we must show tangible, data driven results.
Age
49
Occupation / Current Position
Partner Engagement Manager
Education
BA English Literature with Secondary Ed. Emphasis; Minor in Fine Arts
Carlos Kulas‑Dominguez brings nearly two decades of service to youth, families, educators, and community partners. He believes in every student’s potential because he has seen it firsthand as an educator, administrator, and advocate with Michigan CASA, Cherry Health Foundation, and Camp Blodgett. He has spent years elevating marginalized voices and championing belonging. Growing up amid violence and economic neglect fuels his commitment to ensuring opportunity is never determined by circumstance. Carlos is running for GRPS School Board to advocate for all students, educators, and families.
Improving achievement starts with meeting the whole needs of every student. My experience as a GRPS educator, youth‑development leader, and advocate with Michigan CASA, Cherry Health Foundation, and Camp Blodgett has shown that students thrive when schools are safe, stable, and deeply connected to families. We must expand early interventions, strengthen mental‑health supports, invest in effective teaching, and ensure every school has equitable resources. When students feel seen, supported, and valued, achievement follows.
Public schools face growing inequities that directly impact student success. After nearly two decades working in education, youth development, and advocacy-including GRPS, Camp Blodgett, Cherry Health Foundation, and Michigan CASA-I have seen that students thrive when every school has strong teaching, stable staffing, mental‑health supports, and safe environments. The most urgent issue is ensuring ALL schools across the district have equitable resources, high‑quality instruction, and the support needed for every scholar to succeed.
Balancing the budget must start with equity. Every GRPS school deserves the same high‑quality resources, staffing, and opportunities. We cannot afford to maintain empty or underused buildings that drain funds needed for students. My experience in education, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy has shown the power of strong partnerships, so we must pursue strategic collaborations with community organizations and local businesses. Most importantly, we must meaningfully engage families to ensure budget decisions reflect real needs across the district.
Age
49
Occupation / Current Position
Payroll Accountant
Education
Graduated from Jenison High School, attended GRCC & GVSU
Experience & Qualifications
I have been an active parent in the district for 10 years. I have served as a Parent Action Leader for the district for 4 years. I currently work in the public sector and have experience managing taxpayer funds.
Campaign Phone
616-901-7788
As a member of the Finance team at Kent County Road Commission, I have learned what it means to be a good steward of taxpayer funds and that starts with responsible spending. Working in the accounting field for over 17 years has given me experience in budgeting, the bidding/purchasing process, accounts receivable, and accounts payable.
Making sure each classroom has a permanent teacher certified in the subject they are teaching is a great start. Set higher, but realistic goals for our kids. Make sure all classrooms have the support they need and continue to reduce the amount of screentime in the classroom.
Teacher retention and adequate funding. If we don't have teachers we don't have schools but we need money to pay the teachers. Society expects a lot of our schools but if we don't have the funding to pay teachers, staff, counselors, etc... we will not be able to meet the needs of our students.
The budget needs to be aimed at the needs of our students. Teacher retention, support staff, mental health resources, and classroom materials should all be at the top of the list.
Age
42
Occupation / Current Position
Consultant/ Long -term Substitute Teacher
Education
Loyola University Chicago- Master of Social Work (MSW)
Experience & Qualifications
GRPS graduate, 15+ years in education, school social worker, community organizer, former district administrator, educational consultant, founder of Anew Collective Consulting, family and community engagement leader, current GRPS long-term substitute teacher, nonprofit board experience
Campaign Phone
616-320-1625
I bring more than 15 years of experience in education as a school social worker, community organizer, district leader, and consultant working with schools and communities. As a former district administrator, I have experience leading staff, managing initiatives, and working across departments. Today, I am the founder of Anew Collective Consulting and am also back in a GRPS classroom as a long-term substitute teacher. These experiences have allowed me to see school districts from many perspectives and will inform how I approach decisions about students, staff, resources, and the future of GRPS.
Improving student achievement starts with being clear about what we expect students to learn and being honest about where we are seeing progress and where we are not. The Board should set clear academic goals, regularly monitor student outcomes, and ensure resources are directed toward students and schools that need additional support. We also need to listen to educators and students about what is happening in classrooms. Data is important, but it does not tell the whole story. Our decisions should be informed by both outcomes and the experiences of the people closest to the learning.
One of the most important issues facing public schools is adequate and sustainable funding. What we ask schools to provide continues to grow, but resources do not always keep pace with those expectations. Funding impacts class sizes, staffing, educator and staff wages, mental health supports, academic interventions, transportation, and the opportunities available to students. We need funding that reflects what it actually costs to educate and support the whole child, while ensuring districts are transparent and responsible about how those resources are used.
My priority is keeping resources as close to students and classrooms as possible. Our budget should protect classroom instruction, adequate staffing, competitive wages, and the academic and mental health supports students need. When difficult choices have to be made, I will ask how each decision impacts students and the educators and staff who work with them every day. The Board must also be transparent about those choices and accountable for ensuring our spending reflects the priorities we have set as a district.
Occupation / Current Position
Health Career Foundations Instructor/Psychiatric Registered Nurse
Education
Masters of Science in Nursing Administrative focus
Experience & Qualifications
K–12 GRPS graduate and Creston High School alum; Health Careers educator; psychiatric registered nurse; and MSN graduate with training in nursing administration and leadership. I bring experience in education, mental health, organizational leadership, quality improvement, and evidence-informed decision-making.
As a Health Careers educator and psychiatric registered nurse, I bring experience in education, mental health, teamwork, and complex systems. My MSN training in nursing administration included leadership, personnel management, budgeting, quality improvement, and evidence-informed decision-making. I understand the Board’s role is governance, oversight, and accountability—not day-to-day district management.
Improving achievement starts with understanding students—their strengths, needs, barriers, and goals. Students need strong instruction, timely support, a sense of belonging, and a voice in their learning. Data should guide resources and interventions, while the Board keeps student needs and outcomes at the center of its decisions.
Student achievement and achievement gaps, educator recruitment and retention, attendance, student mental health and well-being, and preparing students for life after graduation are key issues. Schools must address these needs while managing limited resources and ensuring students have access to safe, supportive, high-quality learning environments.
Protect classroom instruction and essential student supports while maintaining long-term financial stability. Budget decisions should consider student outcomes, enrollment, staffing needs, program effectiveness, and financial projections. I would prioritize transparency, responsible use of resources, and investments that directly support students.
Age
33
Occupation / Current Position
KSSN Community School Coordinator
Education
B.A. Sociology
Experience & Qualifications
Former GRPS Staff member, having worked for the district for over five years as a Paraprofessional, Behavior Interventionist, and Youth Advocate.
Having served on the GRPS School Board for the past four years, I have developed tremendously as not only an elected official, but as a community leader as well. My experience has given me great insight into the work of the school board and how to navigate challenges that face our schools every day.
As the Board President, I have worked to manage the needs of our board as well as working to serve as the liaison between us and Grand Rapids Public Schools and the Superintendent. We have made great strides in our professional development and have worked to improve as individuals as well as the collective. Regarding budget management, we have worked to reduce expenditures across the board in order to support better wages for our staff.
I believe that we must place a stronger emphasis on not only our benchmarks for success, but how we measure our growth, how often we look at our data, and how we hold ourselves accountable for our outcomes.
Not all students are built equal, however, so I would continue to support the work of a weighted funding formula at the state level, so that our children with the highest needs may get the resources necessary for their success.
Additionally, we must work to ensure that every classroom is staffed with a highly qualified educator, supported by their administrators, and given all the resources necessary to do what they were hired to do: teach.
There are many pressing issues facing our public schools today, but three that immediately come to mind within GRPS are inadequate and inequitable funding for K-12 education, an over reliance on technology in the classroom, and excessive reliance on suspensions, expulsions, and other exclusionary practices that disproportionately affect Black students among other marginalized individuals.
Michigan law prohibits a school district from adopting a deficit budget. However, what I am understanding this question to mean is, how are we ensuring our budget is healthy year-over-year.
I have worked with community organizations, elected officials, and our own GRPS Board of Education to work on promoting additional sources of revenue for our K-12 budget, such as the Invest In MI Kids ballot initiative. I have also worked to promote the work of our Reimagine GRPS! plan that aims to right-size our district in order to reduce expenditures across the board and ensure that we can prioritize spending in other essential areas, such as staff compensation, recruitment and retention efforts, and grow your own programs.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Age
44
Occupation / Current Position
Director of Education
Education
Masters of Social Work
Experience & Qualifications
As the current Vice President of the GRPS Board of Education, I bring firsthand experience in district governance, policy oversight, budgeting, superintendent accountability, facilities planning, and community engagement. I am also an early childhood education director, GRPS graduate, and parent, giving me both professional and personal insight into the needs of students, families, and educators.
Campaign Phone
616-617-3520
As Vice President of the GRPS Board of Education, I bring direct experience in district governance, policy oversight, superintendent evaluation, strategic planning, and reviewing multimillion-dollar budgets and financial reports. As a Director of Education, I oversee early childhood and out-of-school-time programming, including staff management, hiring, training, performance, scheduling, compliance, program operations, and family engagement. As a GRPS graduate, parent, educator, and community leader, I understand the students and families our district serves.
Improving student achievement starts with addressing attendance and understanding the whole child. Students bring experiences and challenges into school each day that can make education difficult to prioritize. We must identify and remove barriers by connecting students and families with academic, mental health, social, and community supports. We must also continue building schools where every student feels safe, valued, and a genuine sense of belonging. When students are present, supported, and connected, they are better prepared to learn and succeed.
The most important issues facing public schools today are safety, adequate funding, and staffing. Students must be safe and feel safe in their schools before they can fully focus on learning. We need stronger advocacy at the state level for funding that reflects the real needs of students and districts. We must also invest in programs that recruit, prepare, and retain qualified teachers. Most importantly, we need to rethink how we value educators by providing competitive compensation, meaningful support, manageable workloads, and the respect their work deserves.
My priority is maintaining a student-centered budget that directs resources where they have the greatest impact: the classroom. Every budget decision should be measured by how it supports student learning, safety, belonging, and achievement. Balancing the budget also requires responsible stewardship, transparency, and difficult choices, but those choices should protect effective classroom instruction, student services, and the educators and staff who directly support students.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Occupation / Current Position
Civil Right Specialist
Education
Masters
Experience & Qualifications
Incumbent-Served two terms
Campaign Phone
6162285429
I have the privilege of serving our school board since 2018. For eight years I have had the opportunity to listen, learn, challenge, collaborate in most importantly advocate for our scholars, staff, families and community. Today I am the longest serving member of the board. I believe that matters. it matters because continuity matters, historical knowledge matters, knowing why decisions were made, understanding what we have tried before, knowing what worked and what did not and understanding how past decisions continue to affect our district today gives us perspective.
I have worked for the State in Union position for nearly 30 years. I have worked with varies populations and backgrounds, currently I’m a civil rights specialists.
We need to focus on our scholars as a community. We need to support policies and practices that focus on scholars and their needs, from academic rigor, academic supports and social emotional needs. As a community, we need to also support proper funding for public education. Public schools are still not funded adequately and yet we often time have the heaviest lift, with servicing more marginalized communities.
Proper funding, classroom management to achieve academic excellence and providing whole child supports.
I will begin by saying this assumes this budget isn’t balanced, which GRPS has been maintaining our required fund balance. Support and advocate for proper funding, cutting programs and venders that aren’t providing expected outcomes and continuing the facilities Master plan to right size the district.
