Hamtramck School Board will see some new faces

By Charles Sercombe
The Hamtramck Public School Board is in for a big change.
School Boardmembers Evan Major and Dennis Lukas have joined Maggie Srodek, who recently resigned, in not seeking re-election.
That means there will be four new board members next year.
One candidate, Daz’Shavon Hall, has a head start.
She was recently appointed to fill in Srodek’s seat until the election. But instead of running to fill Srodek’s remaining term – about four years – Hall is running for a full six-year term.
Boardmember Salah Hadwan, who is also vice president of the board, has decided to run for Srodek’s open seat instead of seeking a full term.
Also running for full-term seats are Ramsey Hussain and Regan Watson.
Unless there is a write-in candidate for that November election, all four are running unopposed, and are thus shoo-ins to being elected.
The change-over also opens the question of who will become the next board president. Right now, the board president is Evan Major, whose term ends in December.
Asked why he is stepping down, Major said this in an email to The Review:
“I’ve dedicated the last seven years to building a better board and a better school system. Some of the key elements are now in place to continue progress such as the transition of a new Superintendent, a three-year strategic plan, consistent enrollment growth, wage growth, annual budget surpluses, and above all the remarkable students, staff, and families that help our reputation shine far beyond our small borders.
“I look forward to transitioning the new board, focusing on the root causes of challenges in public education, and reemerging as an active HPS parent in a few years.
“But most of all, I look forward to voting YES on the bond initiative on August 4th because every possible option has been studied and this is our best chance to give thousands of students a better chance in life.”
Dennis Lukas, a retired science teacher with the Hamtramck district, said he is not seeking re-election because he felt it is time “to let other people join the board.”
Lukas added that the board was taking a different direction than he had hoped.
“I had more things I wanted to do on the board,” he said. “I was thinking of academics, but they wanted more social programs.”
Srodek resigned because of growing family and business responsibilities.
Posted Aug. 7, 2020