A razor-think margin of 170 votes kept an appointed Mount Pleasant Public Schools Board member in her seat for another six years, unofficial election results released by the Isabella County Clerk's office shortly before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday showed.

District voters were asked to choose between four hopefuls for two full terms, and a pair vying to fill a two-year seat left vacant.

Challenger Madison Chapman was the highest vote getter for the full term, with 100 percent of precincts counted. She earned 5,825 votes (27.95%) and will claim one of the two six-year seats. Incumbent Melissa Isaac also got the voters' blessing for a term, with 5,725 votes or 27.47% of those cast.

Newcomer Kristina Marie Hug finished third in a photo-finish race with 5,555 votes (26.66%), and Tamara Kobylarz rounded out the race with 3,435 ballots (16.48%).

For the partial term ending on Dec. 31, 2026 Derek Snyder was the top vote getter with 5,942 (52.19%), compared to incumbent Trustee Nathan Tomson's 5,204 ballots (45.71%).

Hug, Snyder and Chapman ran as a collective ticket.

Central Michigan Life reached out to each candidate; however, many did not respond to requests for comment.

About the tentative winners:

Dr. Madison Chapman

Madison Chapman is a licensed psychologist specialized in providing assessment and consultation services for youth impacted by trauma.

According to her campaign website, Chapman earned her doctoral degree in the School of Psychology from Michigan State University and her bachelor's degree in Psychology from CMU. She has experience in school and clinical psychology, providing perspectives of mental health in educational environments.

She is trained in treatments regarding cognitive-behavioral therapy, where she assists clients and families that struggle with concerns such as anxiety, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), depression, trauma and behavioral disorders.

Currently Chapman is the lead clinical psychologist at Community Mental Health for Central Michigan and owns a child-focused mental health practice in downtown Mount Pleasant.

Key messages Chapman emphasizes for her work on the board are:

Effective engagement instruction
Support for mental health and emotional wellbeing
Consistent responses to student behavior
Meaningful use of parent input

Melissa Isaac

Isaac was appointed to her position in October 2022. She is a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and a graduate of Mount Pleasant Public Schools.

She said in the history of Mount Pleasant School Board, there has never been an Indigenous person elected to the School Board.

“Eight percent of the total population at Mount Pleasant Public Schools is Native American … we are the largest minority group in the school system and have never had a voice on the board,” she said. “That was my primary purpose for running ... to bring perspective, give a voice and make the board truly reflective of our community.”

According to her campaign website, Isaac has an Associate's of Arts in Elementary Education from what is now Mid-Michigan College and graduated from Central Michigan University (CMU) with a Bachelor's of Science in Education. She also holds a Master Degree of Science in Administration with a concentration in Leadership, also from CMU.

Isaac has 20 years of combined experience as an elementary teacher, holding positions such as Tribal School principal and director of education for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and is currently Gizhwaasod with the Michigan Department of Education’s Indigenous Education Initiative.

Isaac said in the two years since being appointed, she's been able to help align district policy to include Indigenous or Native American representation. One of these ways is by involving Tribal police with the schools.

“We’ve talked about law enforcement being involved in the school, state police, city police but never was there mention of tribal police,” Isaac said. “We have that (Tribal police) inserted in there now, so there's just ways to ensure that we are following law and that we are compliant with our policy but also being inclusive with the tribe and all the services that we use everyday in our community.”

Isaac also serves on the Professional Study Committee, where she assists in making curriculum decisions for the district.

“It’s a fairly new position but I’m excited to keep my seat to continue to give input on curriculum that is reflective of our community,” she said. “There's so much work to be done in education. ... In my current role, I have the opportunity to impact public schools all throughout the state, working with all 12 federally recognized tribal nations and indigenous communities.”

Isaac also owns Edukwe Consulting LLC, through which she works to support Tribal Nation-building efforts.

Key issues Isaac is concerned about include:

Mental health and student well-being
Equity and inclusion
School safety and security
Parental and community involvement

Derek Snyder

According to his campaign Facebook page, Snyder is a lifelong resident of the Mount Pleasant area and a 19-year employee in public utilities in the area. He is a father of three Mount Pleasant Public Schools students, and he said in a video posted on his page that he is appreciative of the "wonderful experience" and opportunities his daughter has had as a student at Mount Pleasant High School.

"I want you to know that my heart for the school district is that we create functioning, engaged citizens for our community or whatever community they go in," he said in the video. "I want unity, transparency between our staff, our leadership, our school board, our parents and our students."

His goals, according to his biography, are to work alongside the current board team, "so that our staff and administration have what hey need to ensure the best educational environment possible for themselves and their students."