---
title: "Fifteen Candidates Chase Five Grand Rapids School Board Seats"
url: https://www.heregrandrapids.com/2026/10/21/grand-rapids-school-board-race-15-candidates-five-seats/
date: 2026-10-21T06:37:36-04:00
modified: 2026-10-21T06:37:36-04:00
author: "Vasco S. Quezada"
categories: ["Politics"]
site: "HERE Grand Rapids"
attribution: "HERE Grand Rapids"
---

# Fifteen Candidates Chase Five Grand Rapids School Board Seats

> GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Voters in Grand Rapids will sort through a long list of names this fall, as 15 people compete for five four-year spots on the GRPS school board in the nonpartisan Nov. 3 election. A sixth seat is not contested. Erika VanDyke, whom the board appointed in February after trustee Arick Davis

*Source: [HERE Grand Rapids](https://www.heregrandrapids.com/2026/10/21/grand-rapids-school-board-race-15-candidates-five-seats/) — October 21, 2026 by Vasco S. Quezada*

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Voters in Grand Rapids will sort through a long list of names this fall, as 15 people compete for five four-year spots on the GRPS school board in the nonpartisan Nov. 3 election.

A sixth seat is not contested. Erika VanDyke, whom the board appointed in February after trustee Arick Davis resigned, has no opponent for the partial term that runs through Dec. 31, 2028.

Three sitting members want to stay. Board President José Rodriguez and Vice President Aarie Wade are each after a second four-year term, and Kimberley Williams is seeking a third. Fellow trustees Kymberlie Buczek and Sara Melton plan to leave when their terms end this December.

Whoever wins will help steer a district under pressure. GRPS has lost close to 30 percent of its enrollment since 2010, leaving its buildings about half full, and at least seven schools have closed, with three more slated to shut by 2028. The district reports about 14,000 students from families tied to more than 80 countries.

The new board will also be in place for a change at the top. Superintendent Leadriane Roby, hired in 2020, plans to leave when her contract runs out in June 2027, and the board opened a national search for her successor in July.

Teacher hiring has been another sore spot, though the district said 95 percent of teaching jobs were filled as of September.