Six candidates are running for four, four-year terms on the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education. Five names will be on the ballot. Incumbent Kelly Owen filed as a write-in and her name will not be on the ballot. She explains that in her statement below.
On the ballot are:
Victor DeLibera
Victor DeLibera, 44723 Greenbriar Dr., Van Buren Township, has lived in the school district for more than 22 years. He is married to Margo and they have three children, Victor, Gabrielle, and Isabella.
He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Maryland and works as Portfolio Development Executive for Product Cost Management.
He ran for the school board unsuccessfully in 2016. He is an appointed director on the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority.
When asked why he is running for school board, he replied:
“I’m not running for the school board because I see major issues that need solving, nor do I believe that I alone can resolve any significant challenges. Instead, my motivation comes from my meaningful involvement in our district since 2016, particularly through the robotics program. We’ve expanded from a single high school robotics team to nine teams in elementary schools and two in middle school. We’ve also grown the high school program into a hands-on business where students design and sell their own products. Through the Tiger Robotics Booster Organization, we’ve been collaborating with the administration to implement a district-wide STEM curriculum that connects extracurricular activities with classroom learning. My goal in running for the school board is to build on this work and continue enhancing educational opportunities for our students.”
He was asked: What do you think are the most-pressing issues in our district and what should be done about them?
“I believe our school district is well-run, and any issues within it are relatively minor. If I had to identify one pressing issue, however, it would be based on my observations of students’ behavior regarding mistakes.
“Making mistakes is a crucial part of growth and learning. Over the past several years of working with students, I’ve noticed a common theme: a fear of making mistakes. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed. Mistakes are a necessary part of development, and we need to provide our students with the freedom and supportive environment to make them. This will foster resilience, teach problem-solving skills, and guide them in identifying areas for improvement.
“Ultimately, these experiences shape our students and help them embrace challenges rather than shy away from them. The administration and policies of our district should align with parents and teachers to help students understand the importance of mistakes.”
Dionne Falconer
Dionne Falconer, incumbent, 51, 43705 Dorchester Dr., Van Buren Township, has lived in the school district for 12 years. She ran for school board for the first time in 2018 and was not successful. She ran again in 2020 and won a seat on the school board. Now, she is running for reelection.
She is married to Vincent Falconer and they have a daughter Alessander and sons Trevor who attends BHS and Myles who attends McBride Middle School.
She earned a bachelor of science in Administration from Ferris State University and a master of arts in business administration/e-business from the University of Phoenix.
Falconer works as a Regulation Agent for the State of Michigan.
She is an active team mom with Belleville High School since 2023, a board member for BHS Tiger Football Booster Club since its beginning on June 7, 2023.
When asked why she is running for this office, she replied: “I am running for a second term on the board so that I can continue to support our students, teachers and staff in achieving their goals in education, life and careers.
“I want to take the challenge at a higher level to increase the positive impact I can make in my community. I feel that it is important for the school board to be representative of the diverse landscape that makes our district such a wonderful place for our children to earn grow.
“As an active school board member with students currently enrolled in the Van Buren school system allows me firsthand knowledge on the education tools pros and cons selected. The real time engagement as a parent, seeing first-hand the needs of students, faculty and staff helps me be an asset to Van Buren School board. I can provide perspective that is relevant and current to the immediate needs of the district.
“As a parent of a 10th grader and 7th grader, I am their first teacher. When they started school, I became a part of a larger team of educators to assist them in reaching their maximum potential as individuals and students.”
When asked what she thinks are the most pressing issues in our school district and what should be done about it, she replied:
“Pressing issues in our school district that I plan to focus on is to continue closing the education gap caused by COVID-19 and retaining great teachers and staff in the district.
“It’s a priority that VBPS provides a safe and well-balanced education for all students, whether their goal is to attend college or earning a certificate to enter the workforce directly.
“VBPS is a district of ‘Excellence’ and I am proud of being a VBPS School board member and will love to continue to work for the students, staff and community.”
Wade Fields
Wade Fields, 56, 6642 Sheldon Rd., Van Buren Township has lived in the school district for 31 non-concurrent years. He and his wife Tina, BHS 1988 graduate, have a son Corbin, who was a BHS graduate in 2019 and a daughter Avery who graduated in 2022 and was class salutatorian.
Field graduated from BHS in 1986 and earned an associate degree in architectural drafting from Washtenaw Community College. He is an Architectural Designer and Estimator at the University of Michigan.
This is his first run for elective office.
He holds a Builder’s License and belongs to the Tiger Robotics Booster Organization, BHS Robotics, Parent Coordinator for Michigan Marching Band – Horn Section (My daughter is a member), and enjoys remodeling, house repairs, and boating.
When asked why he is running for this office, he replies: “To be more involved in the VBPS by increasing more STEM and vocational education in the school district, such as having a robotics curriculum for all grades like existing art and music programs. Help the student be more engaging in school and extracurricular activities, making learning more enjoyable, and helping them discover career options and life skills.”
When asked what he thought are the most-pressing issues in our school district and what should be done about them, he replied:
“To retain students and teachers while attracting new ones. This requires community engagement and improved communication among all stakeholders – teachers, staff, administration, and the community – to ensure the best decisions are being made for the district.”
Billie Jo Harsch
Billie Jo Harsch, 47 Montague St., Van Buren Township, has lived in the school district all her 38 years. She and her husband Steven Harsch have three children, Gracelyn, Holley, and Charles Harsch.
Her occupantion is Patient Access Rep 2. She earned her high school diploma and has some college. This is her first run for public office.
She enjoys reading in her spare time and is a children’s ministry teacher in their local church. She is actively involved in her children’s sports and theater activities and volunteers in the schools as much as she can.
When asked why she is running for this office, she replied: “I am a firm believer that all students and parents should have a voice and I want to be available to be that for them. With the world changing, I want to make sure that our students are protected, remain safe, and have the necessary tools they need to help them succeed.
What does she think are the most pressing issues in our school district?
1. Violence/bullying within our schools: With this issue we have to make students, teachers, and even schools accountable. We also need to make sure there are enough resources available. I would love to see volunteers from the retired sector of the community mentor and even be actively engaged in the school district. Whether that be having a presence within the schools or putting together outreach programs for students.
2. I-Ready Testing: From personal experience, the I-Ready testing is failing and not a good system for my daughter. We need to take a look at other testing options and make the right decision for our district as a whole. We need to dive deeper, look at testing scores, and see what the true issue may be.
3. Classroom size: We need to help our teachers out. I want to make sure that there are resources available for all teachers to help them succeed. The number of students per classroom needs to go down and if that means hiring more teachers, then we should do that. The less kids in a classroom the more one on one the teacher can have with each student, which is important for the growth of the student.
David W. Shall
David W. Shall, 57, of Harmony Lane, has lived in Van Buren Township for 26 years and he and his wife Angela have two children in Van Buren Schools. He is very involved in his children’s upbringing and volunteers time locally to support youth sports and community improvement initiatives.
“A school board position gives me an important volunteer opportunity to improve kids’ education and enhance their learning environment, that ultimately influences the people they become in our community.”
David Shall has 32 years of professional leadership experience in health and safety, human resources, sales and marketing and business management. He is a certified safety professional (CSP) in the USA and Canada (CRSP). He holds a B.S. degree from West Liberty State College, M.S. degrees from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University. Shall has worked for Choctaw-Kaul Distribution Company since 2000 where he served as Technical Director, Vice President of Marketing & Sales and is currently Executive Vice President. He previously held leadership roles at Ford Motor Company and Marathon Oil Company.
He belongs to the BYC, National Safety Council, International Society for Performance Improvement, and enjoys water skiing.
As a school board member, Shall said he will promote policies, programs and processes that:
1. Improve academic achievement through student and teacher incentives.
2. Increase student and staff safety and security through your tolerance policies.
3. Hold students, parents, and staff accountable to maintain a positive, respectful, and supportive learning environment.
4. Focus funding and efforts on serving local kids and families well.
“I will provide leadership to educate local kids.”
Kelly Owen, write-in
Incumbent school board member Kelly Owen, 61, 42607 Maude Ct., Van Buren Township, has filed as a write-in candidate. Voters will have to write her name on the ballot to cast a vote for her.
She was elected to four-year terms in 2012, 2016, and 2020.
She and her husband Kyle Owen have three children, Kendall, Kameron, and Karlee. She has lived in the district for 31 years.
Owen is a homemaker and has an associate’s degree.
She was a member of the Van Buren Public Schools Education Foundation for eight years, a PTO parent at Haggerty Elementary, Owen Intermediate, McBride Middle School, and BHS. She also has served on several committees within the school system over the past 22 years.
Her hobbies are baking, beading, helping others and spending time with family and friends.
When asked why she is running for this office, she replied: “If elected, this will be my fourth term on the school board. I have enjoyed the past 12 years, being a part of my own children’s education, and being a part of something that impacts all of our children to get the best education possible. A lot of changes have happened in our district in the past 12 years. We have built a new Early Childhood Center, we opened our doors to a new high school in the fall of 2012, we have updated all of our schools, started a Robotics team and ROTC at the high school, opened a health clinic at McBride Middle School, joined forces with Eastern Michigan University so that our high school students can earn college credits before they graduate, and so much more. My three children fulfilled their education through Van Buren Schools, and I believe they received the best education possible. I am proud to say they are Belleville graduates and I look forward to being part of the opportunities that Van Buren Public Schools will offer our community in our future.”
What do you think are the most pressing issues in our school district and what should be done about them?
“Like any school district, we are always trying to improve our test scores, teacher retention, class sizes, obtaining the best curriculum for all our students, and above all, safety. While all of these are important, safety for our students is the most important. When I was in school, the only drills we had were tornado drills, and we had to sit under our desks. We live in a different world now and, unfortunately, we have to practice safety from people, and not just the weather. Recently, we have hired a Director of School Safety, updated McBride Middle School, along with Tyler and Savage Elementary Schools with new secure entries, a new key card entry system at the high school, and we have a Safety Resource Officer from Van Buren Township that is a presence in all of our schools. We practice safety drills at all of our schools on a regular basis, and we are providing A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training to all of our staff and students. We are continually looking at ways to keep our staff and students safe, and to make sure our students receive the best education possible while in a safe environment.”
Owen also added, “I would like to take this opportunity to address why I am a write-in candidate this year. Back in 2012 when I ran for school board the first time, I turned in my initial paperwork a few days past the filing deadline, which generated a $50 late fee on my Wayne County Campaign Finance account. At the time, I had an obsolete email that these late fee notices were sent to. The Wayne County Campaign Finance Department sent an initial notice to this obsolete email only, and I was unfortunately not notified through any other methods of communication. When I ran for reelection in 2016 and 2020, I was never alerted that I had an outstanding balance, and I was completely unaware of it. This did not affect my ability to be on the ballot in those elections.
“In 2022, a law was passed banning candidates from running for office if they had an outstanding campaign finance balance. It was not until Aug. 8, 2024, after submitting my paperwork to run in this current election, that I was notified of my fine from 12 years ago which rendered me ineligible to be on the ballot this year. I was informed that if I paid the outstanding balance, I would then be eligible to run as a write-in candidate this year.
“I take full responsibility for turning in my paperwork late in 2012, and for never looking at my old emails where the notices were sent. I thoroughly enjoy being on the school board and have found through the years that being involved at any capacity in our children’s education is my passion. I have been involved in our public school for the past 22 years, through my three children’s tenures at VBPS and beyond. I want to be totally transparent and honest about my situation so there is no confusion as to why I am a write-in candidate vs. being on the ballot. Thank you for your time, and let’s all get out there and vote Nov. 5. GO TIGERS!”
Not running for reelection
Incumbent school board members not running for reelection are vice-president Susan Featheringill and treasurer Simone Pinter. Their present terms run until the end of December.