Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Bridgman Public Schools recall, Michigan (2022)
| Bridgman Public Schools recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Nancy Hawley Eric Ramso |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall three of the seven members of the Bridgman Public Schools Board of Education in Michigan did not go to a vote in 2022. Board President Eric Ramso and members Nancy Hawley and Wayne Hall were named in the recall petitions.[1] The petitions against Ramso and Hall were rejected in a clarity hearing on May 6, 2022. The petition against Hawley was withdrawn.[2]
All three petitions listed the district's mask requirement as a reason for the recall effort. Superintendent Shane Peters issued the mask requirement on November 14, 2022, and removed it on February 16, 2022.[1]
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
Michelle Staneart-Gast, resident of Bridgman, filed the recall petitions. The petitions said that the mask requirement issued by the superintendent did not include “an explicit exemption for a parent to exclude their child(ren) from the Order.” They also cited a Michigan law that says, “It is the natural, fundamental right of parents and legal guardians to determine and direct the care, teaching and education of their children. The public schools of this state serve the needs of the pupils by cooperating with the pupil’s parents.”[1]
Staneart-Gast said the board was not listening to parents and district taxpayers. “The school board trustees need to listen to the voters and not to the superintendent,” she said.[1]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, the three board members released a joint statement.[1]
| “ | Bridgman Public Schools takes great pride in the administration, staff and school board members that serve our students. President Ramso, Trustee Hall and Trustee Hawley consider it an honor and privilege to serve the community [..] At this time, we have no comments on the recall process, but instead have chosen to continue our efforts and energies on the roles and responsibilities as board members of one of the most high-performing school districts in the state of Michigan.[3] | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
The recall petitions were filed with the Berrien County Clerk on April 20, 2022.[1] The petitions against Ramso and Hall were rejected by the Berrien County Election Commission in a clarity hearing on May 6, 2022. The petition against Hawley was withdrawn.[2]
To get the recalls on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures equal in number to 25% of voters in the office's jurisdiction in the last gubernatorial election. The signatures must be collected within 60 days of each other.[4] The petition must be submitted no later than 180 days after it was approved for circulation.[5]
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
2022 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 54 school board recall efforts against 123 board members in 2022. Recall elections against school board members were held on January 11, 2022, January 18, 2022, January 24, 2022, February 15, 2022, March 29, 2022, April 4, 2022, and November 8, 2022. The school board recall success rate was 7.3%.
The chart below details the status of 2022 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- Bridgman Public Schools, Michigan
- Recall campaigns in Michigan
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Harbor Country News, "Recall petitions filed against 3 Bridgman school board trustees," April 27, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harbor Country News, "One Bridgman school board recall petition withdrawn, two denied," May 10, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Recall of Local Officials," accessed July 27, 2021
- ↑ 'Michigan Legislature, "Michigan Compiled Laws Section 168.961, accessed March 15, 2016
 |
State of Michigan Lansing (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
