Board of Education
APS School Board Welcomes You!
As elected school board members, we are interested in your concerns and opinions.
Our hope is that our meetings will give you a better understanding of just how the school district operates. We encourage public participation in our meetings and welcome your comments. If you are interested in addressing the board, please review the procedure for public comment in the brochure How Do I Participate in a School Board Meeting posted at the bottom of this webpage. If you want to attend a meeting just to listen and learn, that’s great! Just sit back and get a feel for “democracy in action.”
Contact:
By Mail:
APS Board of Education
2373 Gordon Road
Alpena, MI 49707
By Phone: 989-358-5042
Board President: Anna Meinhardt [meinhardta@alpenaschools.com]
The Official Proceedings of the Board of Education are usually approved at the following meeting and posted to the web as soon as they are approved. Only the current school year's approved set of minutes are posted. The link to posted minutes is found on this webpage. All meetings are open to the public. When possible, special Board meetings and workshops will be scheduled for the first Monday of the month and regular monthly Board meetings will be held on the third Monday of the month. Meeting times are set by the Board. Unless otherwise noted, all Board meetings are held in the Gerry Ludwig Board Room, 2373 Gordon Road, in Alpena.
Member Profiles
Anna Meinhardt
Anna Meinhardt was appointed to the Board of Education on January 21, 2021 to fill the vacancy created by an unfulfilled two-year term in the November 2020 election. Anna served the remainder of the vacated term until December 31, 2022. She ran in the November 2022 general election winning a full four-year term which ends December 31, 2026. Anna currently serves as the board's President.
Prior to moving to Alpena in 2006, she was an elementary teacher with South Lyon Community Schools. She taught first grade, provided Title I services, and became a Reading Recovery teacher. She holds a master's degree in reading education and a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an early childhood endorsement. She has always had a passion of working with students and being involved in education.
For awhile, Anna was devoted to being a full time mom and teacher to her two sons but her spark for education never went away. Anna found time to volunteer as secretary of the Bingham Academy school board, president of the Besser Elementary Parent Advisory Council, and countless hours helping in the classrooms at Besser. Also, Anna was very active in the committee that worked to pass the Safe, Warm, Dry bond proposal for Alpena Public Schools.
Currently, Anna's two sons are enrolled in Alpena Public Schools and it is her desire to be a part of the solution to bettering our schools and making the community a better place to live. Anna is dedicated to serving on the Board of Education with integrity and commitment to the policies which will improve the education of all children and do what is best for the kids.
Eric Hansen
Eric Hansen was elected in the general election on November 8, 2022 to fill an open four-year term which runs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026. Eric currently serves as the board's Vice President.
Dr. Eric Lawson
Eric Lawson, who is beginning his first term on the APS Board, was born in Alpena, attended school in Lansing but spent at least three months out of every year at the family home in Ossineke. Growing up between the two communities contributed to his deep appreciation of Northeast Michigan, its people and quality of life. He enjoys being in the woods or out on the water and wholeheartedly supports our youth participating in sporting activities of all kinds. He and his family have been full-time residents for the last eleven years with two children in the APS system at Sanborn Elementary and Alpena High School.
Prior to his return to Michigan, Dr. Lawson was a violin and music professor at Bismarck State, Jamestown College, University of North Dakota, Central College in Pella, Iowa and before that, Michigan Tech. He also served as Concertmaster of the Bismarck-Mandan, Grand Forks and Keweenaw symphony orchestras. Currently, he is Concertmaster of the Alpena and Gaylord symphonies and Assistant Concertmaster of the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra in Bay Harbor. He also teaches for the Alpena Symphony String School which provides lessons on violin, viola, cello and bass to students of all ages and directs the Hope Lutheran Church choir. Regarding his own education, Dr. Lawson has a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Michigan State University, a Master's from Louisiana State University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Lawson has been affiliated with many local organizations and finds great satisfaction in this service. He is currently President of the Alpena Symphony Board and Chair of the Northeast Michigan Community Mental Health Board. From 2013 to 2016 he was an Alpena County Commissioner, representing Ossineke and Sanborn Townships. As a commissioner, he served on the 26th Circuit Court Committee, the County Personnel Committee, Ambulance Committee, Northern Michigan Regional Entity Substance Use Disorder board and our local District Health Department board.
He hopes to put to use for our schools and their students, his many experiences working, living, teaching and performing all over the United States as well as in Asia, Europe and South America. He feels his education certainly helped him achieve this, and the diversity of his experiences enriched his life, but they also taught him the value of common sense and traditional values such as those found here in Northeast Michigan. It is useful to know how big the world we are sending our students out into is, but it is equally important to realize how wonderful our community is and support the career paths of those students who plan to stay.
Regarding Alpena Public Schools, Dr. Lawson believes that we have a truly excellent teaching staff, great administrators, cooks, custodians, bus drivers and more who make our schools feel like home to our students. As a parent, he appreciates the effort they make in creating the best environment they can for our children and he is proud to support their work as a member of the Board of Education. Dr. Lawson's current term continues through December 31, 2024. He currently serves as Treasurer for the board.
Monica Dziesinski
Monica is a 2004 graduate of Alpena High School. She then went to Baker College, where she received her Associates in Radiology. She worked in X-ray and cross-trained in Cat Scan in Dearborn, Michigan. Monica went back for her Bachelors degree in Radiology with a Minor in Health Care Administration from Seinna Heights, graduating in 2008. From there she decided to further pursue her medical career by graduating from Central Michigan University in 2013 with her Master of Science as a Physician Assistant.
Monica is currently working at the Alpena High Health Center at the Alpena High School, which is part of Alcona Health Center. She enjoys being in the schools and working with the staff and children daily. Her husband Adam, also an APS graduate, works at Holcim. They have two boys and enjoy spending family time in the outdoors. She is excited to be elected to the Board and is looking forward to serving the community.
Monica Dziesinski was elected to the board starting January 1, 2025, with a term ending December 31, 2028.
Andrew (AJ) MacArthur
Andrew MacArthur was elected in the general election on November 8, 2022 to fill an open four-year term which runs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026.
Sarah Costain
Sarah Costain was elected to the board starting January 1, 2025, with a term ending December 31, 2028.
Sarah Fritz
Sarah Fritz was elected in the general election on November 8, 2022 to fill an open four-year term which runs from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026.
Sarah holds a Masters of Science Degree in Education from Old Dominion University and a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from William Carey University. She worked in the public schools of Northern Virginia for seventeen years; six of those as an instructional assistant/aide and eleven years as a Kindergarten classroom teacher.
Sarah has been married for forty years and has two grown children and one grandson. She and her husband moved to Alpena five years ago. She taught at Immanuel Lutheran School for three years and continues to volunteer at the school.
Upcoming Workshop Meetings and Regular Meetings
Board and Workshop Meeting Schedule
(Board Agendas are available online by noon on the day of the meeting)
2024-2025 Board Workshop and Regular Meeting Schedule
Board of Education Workshop and Regular Meeting Agendas
If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in a meeting or hearing, please contact the Secretary to the Board of Education at 989.358.5042 at least one week prior to a meeting or as soon as possible.
BOE Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes are available for public viewing after the Board has adopted the minutes from the previous month at the regular monthly meeting.
Board Policies and Guidelines
View and search current policies and guidelines adopted by the Alpena Public School Board of Education. Click on the BoardDocs image to take you to APS policy homepage. If you need assistance, contact the Board secretary at 989-358-5042.
APS STRATEGIC PLAN 2024
Click Here for the APS Strategic Plan Outline
At its August 26, 2025, Regular Meeting, the Alpena Public Schools Board of Education officially adopted a 3-5-year Strategic Plan—a roadmap created to guide our district’s growth and success.
This process officially began on February 24, 2024, when more than 50 students, staff, administrators, Board of Education members, and community stakeholders came together to identify the district’s strengths and areas for improvement. From there, the Board, administration, and district leadership teams worked collaboratively to refine a plan that addresses the current and future needs of our students, schools, and community.
Since the plan’s adoption, we have been focused on defining, assessing, and strengthening our systems, language, protocols, and practices to ensure they are aligned with the needs of our students and staff. Every step forward is intentional and measurable.
Our Strategic Focus
The Strategic Plan is built around five key goal areas, all supporting the district’s mission:
- Academics & Programs – Delivering high-quality instruction to maximize student achievement.
- Whole-Child Development – Providing supports that foster student engagement, growth, and well-being.
- Personnel – Attracting, recruiting, retaining, and developing highly qualified staff.
- Family & Community Partnership – Strengthening relationships with families and community partners.
- Stewardship – Advancing and maintaining a long-term sustainability plan.
A Commitment to Continuous Improvement
The plan is structured using the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP), ensuring that each goal area includes strategies and implementation activities that are monitored and measured for ongoing progress.
The foundation of this plan is continuous improvement, data-driven decision-making, communication, monitoring, and support. Together, these principles will help us create the best possible learning environment for all APS students.
We are excited to move forward with this plan and will continue to share updates as we implement meaningful changes for our schools and community.
How to Speak Before the Board
Everything you need to know about how to make a public comment or provide a presentation to the school board at a monthly regular meeting is provided in the following brochure:
2024-2025 School Board Meeting Schedule
Board Officers
Anna Meinhardt, President
Eric Hansen, Vice President
Eric Lawson, Treasurer
Summer Seigler, Secretary [appointed]
Board Member Resources
What do Board members do? What Makes a Good Board Member? What are the legal qualifications for Board members? Check out these resources, some provided by the Michigan Association of School Boards.
