From School Board Candidate Lance Lashaway

Greetings, Camden-Frontier voters, parents, and community members,

As many of you have probably noticed, I haven’t been doing much campaigning for the Camden-Frontier School Board.

Between raising children, managing my businesses, and addressing a rather remarkable number of issues within our local communities and governments, campaigning hasn’t exactly been at the top of my list. I’m sure many of you can relate. Life has a way of keeping us busy, especially in the world we find ourselves living in today.

However, with the election approaching and many people reaching out for information, I thought it was time to properly introduce myself, address a few things, and explain why I believe I would be an asset to the Camden-Frontier School Board.

First, let’s address the elephant or perhaps the Redskin in the room.

You may have noticed the old Camden-Frontier Redskins mascot at the beginning of this letter. That was intentional.

I am not a Camden-Frontier alumnus. I’m a Spartan. However, many members of my family have been proud Redskins since the school was built. That friendly rivalry has existed for generations, and despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the mascot’s retirement, the pride and traditions of our communities remain.

The decision to retire the Redskins mascot was hardly a matter of the community simply deciding it was time for a change.

Parents, alumni, and community members filled school board meetings, many passionately demanding that the district preserve a mascot and tradition that had represented generations of Camden-Frontier families.

Yet, despite those objections, the board voted 4–3 to retire the mascot.

The controversy also attracted outside advocacy. The ACLU of Michigan, an organization headquartered outside our community, sent a formal letter directly to the school board president urging the district to retire the Redskins name.

From my perspective, what unfolded was a relatively small group of politically motivated advocates, supported by outside organizations, pushing for a change while board members sympathetic to their position disregarded the passionate objections of many of the very people they were elected to represent.

People can disagree about the appropriateness of a mascot. That’s their right.

But when elected officials are confronted with packed meetings of parents, alumni, and community members pleading to preserve a longstanding tradition, I believe those voices deserve considerably more than what they received.

Whether one supported or opposed the mascot change, the question of how elected board members represent the people they serve should concern everyone.

Traditions matter. History matters. And the identity of a community should not be casually discarded because of the political fashions of the day.

Unfortunately, the mascot controversy was not the only issue that troubled me about the direction of the district.

The district’s response to COVID, what I consider an increasingly rigid, one-size-fits-all approach to education, and the growing influence of politics in our schools had already raised serious concerns for me as a parent.

Taken together, those issues became major reasons I ultimately removed my children from Camden-Frontier.

My children are now Spartans, too.

Some may reasonably ask why I would seek a position on a school board in a district my children no longer attend.

The answer is rather simple.

My family’s history with Camden-Frontier did not disappear when my children changed schools. Neither did my concern for the families, students, teachers, and taxpayers who remain.

And having experienced enough of what I believe is wrong with the direction of public education, I would much rather work toward addressing those problems than simply walk away from them.

Our schools should be places of education, not battlegrounds for political ideologies and we should be securing them now for our descendants.

But before getting further into that, a little about myself.

Who I Am

I was raised on a dairy farm, where I learned early that hard work, responsibility, and common sense were not optional.

After high school, I continued operating the family dairy for approximately another decade until economic circumstances made continuing financially unviable.

Over the following decade, I worked in several industries, including concrete, steel, chemical manufacturing, and plastics, while continuing to farm on the side.

Eventually, I moved into property renovation, development, and real estate, including both residential and commercial properties, which remain my primary interests today.

I generally consider my personal and business life private and rarely discuss it publicly. I believe voters deserve to know something about those asking to represent them.

Over the years, I have also served on numerous private, civic, political, and governmental boards and committees.

Some of those positions include:

• Vice Chair of the Hillsdale County Republican Party
• Vice Chair of the Hillsdale Conservatives
• Member of the Hillsdale City Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) Board
• Republican precinct delegate for Woodbridge Township
• Active participation in Republican district and state committees, including serving as a proxy over the past five years

These experiences have taught me quite a bit about how boards operate, how public money is managed, how decisions are made, and unfortunately, how easily organizations can lose sight of the very people they were established to serve.

And that brings me to something some might find rather ironic.

I am not particularly fond of politics. In fact, I’ve come to loathe much of it.

That might sound strange coming from someone who has been as involved in political and governmental affairs as I have.

But there is a considerable difference between enjoying politics and believing we have a responsibility to hold our public institutions and those who serve accountable.

I happen to believe the latter is a responsibility we all share.

Education Should Prepare Children for Life, Not Simply Employment

One experience from my youth that has stayed with me is my participation in the Future Farmers of America, commonly known as FFA.

Many people mistakenly believe FFA is simply about agriculture. Nothing could be further from the truth.

FFA introduced me to leadership, public speaking, organizational responsibility, parliamentary procedure, and Robert’s Rules of Order. It was my first real introduction to how meetings are conducted, how motions are made, how decisions are reached, and how individuals can work together within an organized body.

Those lessons have served me throughout my life, particularly during my years serving on various boards and committees.

I remain a firm supporter of FFA and the opportunities it provides young people, regardless of whether they ever intend to pursue agriculture.

I also attended a vocational trade school while in high school. Interestingly enough, I never went on to work professionally in the particular trade I studied.

Yet the knowledge, skills, problem-solving abilities, and practical experience I gained have helped me countless times throughout my life, across nearly every industry and business I’ve worked in.

And that illustrates something I believe is fundamentally important about education.

Our schools should not exist simply to teach children how to work for someone else. They should teach children how to think for themselves.

They should encourage independence, critical thinking, creativity, personal responsibility, and the confidence to pursue individual goals.

Some students will pursue college degrees. Others will enter skilled trades, agriculture, manufacturing, or military service. Some will become teachers, doctors, or engineers. Others may start their own businesses, create jobs, or develop something none of us has even imagined.

And some may change directions several times throughout their lives, as I have.

There is nothing wrong with any of these paths.

The goal of education should be to give young people the knowledge, skills, and confidence to choose their own future rather than having that future chosen for them.

One-size-fits-all education is a disservice to our children and ultimately to the communities they will inherit.

I believe Camden-Frontier’s FFA, vocational education, and other opportunities are programs worth supporting and strengthening. These experiences can teach lessons that cannot always be learned sitting behind a desk.

What Should a School Board Actually Be Doing?

In my opinion, politics should be about the last thing on the minds of school board members.

The purpose of a school board is not to advance political ideologies, settle personal disagreements, protect particular families or individuals, or impose fashionable social opinions upon our children.

Its responsibility is to ensure that our schools provide the best possible education and environment for the students entrusted to them.

That means focusing on some fundamental responsibilities.

Education must come first.

Reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, critical thinking, and practical life skills should remain the foundation of our schools. We should be preparing students to become capable, independent adults, not simply teaching them to pass examinations.

Parents must be respected.

Parents are not obstacles to education. They are the people primarily responsible for raising their children. Schools should work with families, not against them.

Communication, transparency, and parental involvement should be encouraged, not treated as inconveniences.

Taxpayer dollars must be managed responsibly.

School boards are entrusted with substantial public resources. Every expenditure should serve a legitimate educational purpose and withstand reasonable public scrutiny.

My experience in business, construction, property management, and governmental oversight would be particularly useful in reviewing budgets, evaluating expenditures, maintaining facilities, and planning for the district’s future.

Teachers and students deserve a productive and safe environment.

Good teachers should be supported in doing what they were hired to do: teach.

Students should be encouraged to learn, question, explore, compete, make mistakes, and grow.

School should also be enjoyable. Athletics, FFA, extracurricular activities, school traditions, and community events are part of what makes childhood memorable.

We should be creating an environment where children can learn, grow, form lifelong friendships, and have some fun along the way.

And that environment must also be free from bullying, intimidation, harassment, and favoritism.

Bullying by students is unacceptable. Bullying or intimidation by administrators, teachers, or other school employees is equally unacceptable.

There should be no special treatment because of someone’s last name, family relationships, position, or connections within the community.

I have witnessed far too much of that mentality in public institutions, and I have absolutely no intention of tolerating it as a school board member.

Every child deserves to be treated fairly. Every parent deserves to have legitimate concerns heard and addressed. And every employee entrusted with the care and education of children must be held to an appropriate standard of conduct.

No exceptions for the right names or the right friends.

A school board must remember whom it serves.

Board members are elected by the people, entrusted with public resources, and obligated to act within the authority granted to them by law.

They should welcome questions, encourage participation, explain their decisions, and never forget that accountability is not an inconvenience of public office.

It is the obligation that comes with it.

A Recent Example of Why Accountability Matters

While the old Redskins mascot represents a past controversy, we need not look very far into the past to find examples of why careful oversight and accurate communication matter.

Camden-Frontier recently issued a statement informing parents of an incident involving a student’s cell phone that reportedly began smoldering in an art classroom.

The school explained that students were evacuated while the smoke cleared and that the phone was removed from the classroom.

Student safety should always come first, and taking precautions during a potentially dangerous battery incident was entirely appropriate.

However, the district concluded its statement with the following reminder:

“Just a reminder for parents that cell phones are prohibited in the classroom by STATE Law.”

There’s just one problem.

That is not what Michigan law actually says.

Under MCL 380.1303a, enacted through Public Act 2 of 2026, Michigan requires school districts to adopt policies prohibiting students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time.

The law does not establish a blanket prohibition against possessing a cell phone in a classroom. It provides specific exemptions and permits individual school districts to adopt additional restrictions.

A school board may establish stricter policies within its lawful authority, but those policies should be identified as district decisions, not inaccurately presented to parents as blanket prohibitions imposed by state law.

I am not opposed to reasonable rules limiting unnecessary cell-phone distractions in classrooms. Teachers should be able to teach without competing with social media, text messages, and ringing phones.

But there is a difference between making a policy and misrepresenting what the law requires.

And when public institutions communicate with the families they serve, that difference should matter.

If a school district chooses to impose rules beyond what the Legislature requires, then it should be prepared to explain those rules, justify them, and accept responsibility for them.

That is what accountability looks like.

To some, this may seem like a small issue. But small issues often reveal much larger problems and we all know this is just an example, otherwise this letter would be a book and it’s already way too long.

When school administrators and boards fail to distinguish between their own authority and the authority of state law, who is asking the questions?

Who is ensuring that parents are being given accurate information?

And who is holding those entrusted with making these decisions accountable?

That is precisely what a school board is supposed to do.

Protecting Our Children Means More Than Passing Policies

Another concern I intend to take seriously is bullying and the treatment of students.

Michigan already requires school districts to adopt and implement anti-bullying policies under the Matt Epling Safe School Law, MCL 380.1310b.

But having a policy written in a handbook means very little if that policy is not properly enforced.

And it means even less if the people responsible for enforcing the rules are themselves mistreating students, dismissing legitimate complaints, or allowing personal relationships to influence their decisions.

I believe concerns about bullying, including allegations involving school employees or administrators, deserve prompt, impartial, and appropriate investigation.

Students should not fear retaliation for speaking up.

Parents should not have to wonder whether their child’s complaint will be taken seriously because of who is involved.

And no child should receive preferential treatment or be denied fair treatment because of their family’s standing in the community.

Our children should be learning that character, honesty, hard work, and personal responsibility matter.

We cannot credibly teach those principles while allowing the adults entrusted with their education to ignore them.

As a board member, I would do everything within my power to bring meaningful oversight of these policies, proper investigations, and accountability for failures to uphold them.

The safety, dignity, and education of students must always come before personal relationships and institutional reputations.

What You Can Expect From Me

I’m not going to promise grand transformations or pretend that one school board member can single-handedly change everything.

What I can promise is that I will approach this position with the same principles I have attempted to uphold in every other public responsibility I have undertaken.

I will ask questions.

I will examine expenditures.

I will insist upon transparency and accountability.

I will respect the responsibilities of teachers, the rights of parents, and the individual needs and aspirations of students.

I will support programs that teach independence, practical skills, leadership, and critical thinking.

I will defend the principle that rules apply equally, regardless of someone’s name, position, or connections.

And I will support policies that genuinely improve education while challenging those that do not, regardless of who proposes them.

Perhaps most importantly, I will not confuse serving on a school board with having authority over the people who elected me.

Public service is a responsibility, not a privilege to be exercised over others.

The Camden-Frontier community deserves a school board focused on education, protecting students, supporting teachers, responsible stewardship of taxpayer money, preserving our community’s history, and preparing the next generation to pursue whatever future they choose.

Our children are individuals. They have different talents, different interests, and different dreams. Our schools should help them discover and develop those abilities rather than attempting to fit every child into the same mold.

That should be the goal of education.

Not politics. Not personal agendas. Not who knows whom.

Just common sense, accountability, and a genuine commitment to the children and families of this district.

If those are principles you share, I would appreciate your consideration and your vote.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you to the families, teachers, and community members who continue to make Camden-Frontier what it is.

Lance Lashaway
Candidate for Camden-Frontier Board of Education

Education. Independence. Accountability. Community.