Three incumbents are among seven candidates vying for three open seats on the Troy school board during the upcoming Nov. 5 election.

The incumbents — Gary Hauff, Karl Schmidt and Nicole Wilson — are all looking to hold onto their seats for another six-year term.

Challengers Alex Karpowitsch, Audra Melton, Ayesha Potts and Stephanie Zendler are seeking their first term on the seven-member board. Zendler, Melton and Karpowitsch have created their own website at www.kmz4tsd.com.

“With KMZ on the school board, the city of Troy can look forward to a future where educational excellence is not just a platform, but a reality,” the candidates wrote on the homepage.

Coming off of a contentious teacher contract renewal four months ago and passage of a $550 million school improvement bond in November 2022, the board will have important issues to address in the coming years.

CANDIDATES

Alex Karpowitsch

He is a lifelong resident of Troy and graduated from Troy High School in 2004. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2008 and has been employed for over a decade with Rockwell Automation.

He is looking to help bring the district back to pre-COVID achievement levels.

“This commitment should be included as part of the 2026 Troy school district strategic plan targeting M-STEP/PSAT/SAT scores that meet and improve upon pre-COVID scores,” said Karpowitsch. “Unfortunately these targets are absent in the 2026 strategic plan that is under the purview of the current board. An academic committee can begin to build a roadmap and chart milestones to remediate COVID learning loss.”Karpowitsch said he has been educating himself on the issues facing the district and would be ready to get to work if he wins a six-year term.

“For the better part of 17 months, I have been totally and completely focused on immersing myself in all facets of public education — legal requirements, finances, student achievement, and of course, interacting with Troy school district staff and members of the Troy community,” he said.

Audra Melton

She has been involved in education for the past 32 years. She was one of the founding teachers of the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills and collaborated with Troy to open the International Academy East campus in 2008, becoming the first principal. She later became principal of Baker Middle School until she retired with a brief return to Athens High School as acting principal in 2023.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Secondary Education from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, a master’s degree in Teaching from Marygrove College, and a Ph.D in K-12 Educational Administration from Michigan State University.

She is looking for a curriculum framework that works for all students in the district.

“Selecting curriculum that is appropriate for the needs of our diverse learners is a priority,” she said. “The return of Honors classes and improving the instruction and support services available to special education students are vital to meet each student at their current learning level and assist them in reaching their full potential.”

Melton thinks the district should be looking ahead at the next teacher contract in three years as part of a plan to keep talent in the district.

“Attracting and retaining the most talented teaching and support staff is vital to keeping Troy a destination district for both teachers and families,” she said. “Fair and equitable contracts with all of our bargaining units and third-party vendors, delivered in a timely manner, would be a priority.”

Ayesha Potts

She is a registered nurse and has served on the Troy Parent Teacher Organization for 16 years.

She said she wants to revisit a controversial decision in May 2023 when the board voted to approve a new curriculum that takes students off accelerated middle school Math classes and uses Illustrative Math to replace the current system for students in 6th and 7th grade.

“Parents continue to be upset about the removal of Honors Math courses at the middle school level, and this issue needs to be revisited,” she said. “We need to know if we have data that the classes that have replaced them are more rigorous and are not only leading more students to Advanced Placement courses, but then enabling them to score well on AP exams.”

Potts said her experience in the district would be one of her biggest assets as a board member.

“For 16 years, I have planned events, activities, teacher appreciation weeks, and fundraisers in Troy schools,” said Potts “I have built strong relationships with all the people I’ve worked with, and even when I’ve had disagreements with a colleague, I’ve always worked respectfully with them to move the project forward in the best interest of the students.”

Karl Schmidt

He has been on the board for 11 years and currently serves as board president. He is an adjunct instructor at Oakland University. Schmidt has a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University and an MBA in marketing from Oakland University.

During his time on the board he says he worked to acquire a building repurposed as an alternative high school and community education department that saved the district $15 million in construction costs and allowed the district to transfer students there two years faster. He is also helping develop a plan to preserve a 70-acre natural area in perpetuity by coordinating with a land conservancy and Oakland County Parks to capture a $3 million state grant.

He thinks one of the key issues is funding in the district.

“We need to keep fighting for adequate public school funding from Washington, D.C. and Lansing. Systematic underfunding over the past 20 years has Troy operating at 60% of the funding we had in 2004 when corrected for inflation,” Schmidt said. “This is the first year in the past 20 that the increase in state funding met or exceeded the inflation rate—we need to continue that trend moving forward.”

Nicole Wilson

She has served for four years on the board and currently works as a consultant. She holds a Ph.D in English specializing in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Media from Wayne State University, a master’s degree in teaching from Marygrove College and a bachelor’s degree in English from Oakland University.

Wilson said she would like to help oversee the full range of projects that will be funded through the $550 million improvement bond passed two years ago.

“I am particularly interested in seeing the bond work through to make sure we are following sustainable construction practices and creating buildings that will meet the needs of our students and be welcoming to all,” said Wilson.

She sees board cooperation as a key issue that will be addressed in this election.

“Our current political climate seeks to politicize and weaponize school boards. Therefore, it is critical that people elect individuals to the school board who want to work with others rather than force a particular agenda,” she said. “School board trustees must be more interested in the well-being of the children of the school district than any political position or influence.”

Stephanie Zendler

She has 25 years of experience as a teacher in elementary and middle school, as well as a building and district administrator, serving the last 12 years in Troy as a building principal at Morse Elementary and as the district Multi-Tiered System of Support supervisor. Zendler is currently the owner of Whatever it Takes Support, specializing in secondary and higher education mentoring and support for independence.

She graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Michigan, then received an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Curriculum from Eastern Michigan University.

She also said one area of concern is district recovery from the pandemic.

“All Troy students have shown a slower recovery trajectory than its peer districts post COVID in reported measurable data points such as SAT and M-STEP testing,” said Zendler. “These academic red flag areas that span and impact K-12 for all students deserve substantial study, careful and collaborative action planning, and measured implementation of a quantitative strategic plan.”

Zendler, Karpowitsch and Melton have been campaigning together throughout the summer.

“We’ve been knocking on doors 20 or more hours a week with the support of some great volunteers all over the city so that we’re able to bring information and name recognition to the election,” Zendler said.

Gary Hauff

Hauff is a retired Troy police officer and has served 25 years on the board, but did not respond to inquiries for more background information.