
Pictured from left to right: Arthur Lucas, Katrina Royster, and Charles Loader.
BURTON- The Atherton Board of Education has called a special school board meeting for Monday May 8 at 5:30pm.
The special meeting notice comes after the resignation of Lee Clifford and the purpose is to appoint her replacement.
Three Atherton Schools residents’ have filed for the appointment:
Charles Loader
Arthur Lucas
Katrina Royster
Loader is a retired Michigan State Trooper, Homeland Security Officer, and Air Force Veteran.
Lucas is a former engineering manager and currently works for Mara Technologies. It has been reported that he has connections with current board members.
Royster ran for the Atherton Board of Education in 2022, but as a write-in candidate. She missed the deadline by a couple of days and plans to run in the future, anyways.
The location of the board meeting is
3354 S. Genesee Road, Burton, Michigan 48519.
Public comments will take place before the board interviews the candidates.
In the same meeting, the board is looking at the possibility of dismissing an employee, and hiring armed security officers for school safety.
Speaking of school safety, while working for the homeland security division, Charles Loader says he implemented a $9,000,000 grant to update Public School safety response plans.
Royster, a Beecher high graduate, has shown her interest in the board with her recent write-in candidacy, and hopes to join the board via appointment. She is known for her volunteerism and love of the community.
Whom ever the board appoints will have to run for the remainder of the partial term in November of 2024.
Clifford, who resigned and created the board opening, reached out to the Genesee Journal and wanted to make it clear the reason she resigned is because she moved out of the district.

Pictured: the Atherton School Board. Not pictured: Amber Barker who was appointed in early 2022 to replace Paul Hildreth. (Hildreth is pictured on their website, but no longer serves).
The current board may be reached at:
Mr. Craig Lanter
clanter@athertonschools.org
Mrs. Bette Bigsby
bbigsby@athertonschools.org
Mrs. Sandra Talbot
stalbot@athertonschools.org
Mr. Scott Hynes
shynes@athertonschools.org
Mrs. Amber Barker
abarker@athertonschools.org
Mr. Timothy Shorkey
tshorkey@athertonschools.org
In 2024, three seats will be up for election:
1.) Craig Lanter (Full Term)
2.) Bette Bigsby (Full Term)
3.) Whoever gets appointment (partial)
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