Austin Brown - Pennfield School Board Trustee

10/28/2026

PENNFIELD SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE — SCHOOL SAFETY FUNDING VOTED DOWN AGAIN!

I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who showed up this evening.

Tonight, the Pennfield Board of Education voted on the Section 31aa funding for the SECOND time.

Unfortunately, the outcome remained the same for the school safety portion. The school safety funding was voted down 4-3, with the exact same board members voting the exact same way.

The votes were as follows:

YES - Accept the Funding
Austin Brown - YES
Sarah Jones - YES
Steve Herbstreith - YES

NO - Reject the Funding
Tim Wood - NO
Brad Crandall - NO
Jennifer Sheldon - NO
Dawn Forton - NO

On a positive note, the Board did vote to approve the mental health portion of the Section 31aa funding, which will provide important resources to support our students and staff.

However, I am incredibly disappointed that we once again failed to secure funding specifically intended to improve the safety of our schools.

Despite community members speaking out, voicing their concerns, and asking the Board to reconsider, four members remained tone-deaf to the very people they were elected to represent.

Our students deserve better. Our staff deserve better. Our community deserves better.

As elected officials, we have a responsibility to put the well-being and safety of our students and staff above everything else. We may not always agree on every issue, but ensuring a safe learning and working environment should NEVER be controversial.

November 3rd is your opportunity to make your voice heard at the ballot box. I encourage every voter in Pennfield to do their homework and support candidates who will prioritize our students, support our staff, and make decisions that move our district forward.

Elections have consequences, and the decisions made at the board table matter.

Lastly, let me be clear: Sharing how elected officials vote is not intended to bully, shame, or personally attack anyone. It’s called transparency and accountability. However, if seeing your vote shared publicly makes you feel ashamed, perhaps the problem isn’t that someone shared your vote. Perhaps it’s the vote itself.

I will continue advocating for our students, our staff, and the families who trust us to do what’s right.

Pennfield deserves leadership that puts our students FIRST!

10/26/2026

🚨 PENNFIELD, NOW IS THE TIME TO SHOW UP! 🚨

After the Pennfield School Board voted down the 31AA funding, my Facebook post reached over 21,000 views! Clearly, this is an issue our community cares deeply about.

Now, it’s time to turn those views into action!

I have formally requested that the 31AA funding be placed on the agenda for the upcoming special Board meeting. I have also requested that the two funding allocations, School Safety and Mental Health, be separated into two individual votes.

📅 Tuesday, October 27, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Pennfield High School Media Center

I’m asking our community to SHOW UP and show your support for approving BOTH funding allocations!

Our students and staff deserve safe schools. And our community deserves to have its voice heard.

21,000 views showed how much attention this issue has received. Now, let’s fill that meeting room and show the Board where our community stands!

I encourage everyone to attend, respectfully make your voices heard, and support the Board in voting YES on BOTH funding allocations.

Our kids are worth showing up for. Our schools are worth fighting for.

See you Tuesday, Pennfield!

10/24/2026

🗳️ Early in-person voting is underway!

Thank you to everyone across Pennfield who has supported and encouraged me throughout this campaign. It truly means a lot!

Pennfield is home, and I care deeply about our community and the people who make it special.

As early voting gets underway, I’m asking for your vote and continued support!

It’s a true honor to serve the community that helped shape me into the person I am today, and I sincerely hope I’ve earned your vote.

Thank you, Pennfield!



10/21/2026

Since I first ran for the Pennfield School Board, I have made one thing clear: I believe our community deserves transparency.

That means keeping the public informed about the decisions being made and how those decisions impact our students and schools.

Tonight, the Pennfield School Board had the opportunity to vote on accepting Section 31aa funding from the State of Michigan, which provides financial support for student mental health and school safety.

The funding consists of two parts:

- Mental Health Funding: $73.53 per pupil
- School Safety Funding: $147.06 per pupil

That’s a combined $220.59 per pupil in potential funding for Pennfield Schools.

There is an important condition attached to the school safety portion of this funding. By accepting those funds, the district would be required to agree to waive certain legal privileges, including attorney-client privilege involving the Board and its legal counsel, during a comprehensive investigation following a qualifying mass casualty event.

This waiver would apply only to matters related to that specific event, not to all communications between the Board and its legal counsel.

Tonight, the Board voted 4–3 against accepting the funding.

I requested a roll call vote because I believe the public deserves to know exactly where each elected Board member stands.

The votes were as follows:

YES — Accept the Funding

Austin Brown — YES
Sarah Jones — YES
Steve Herbstreith — YES

NO — Reject the Funding

Tim Wood — NO
Brad Crandall — NO
Jennifer Sheldon — NO
Dawn Forton — NO

I voted YES because I believe supporting the mental health and safety of our students is an important responsibility. I recognize the concerns surrounding the attorney-client privilege requirement, and I believe those concerns deserve thoughtful consideration.

But I also want to address that concern directly.

God forbid something ever happens in our district that would trigger an investigation of this magnitude. I sincerely hope our students, staff, and families never have to experience such a tragedy. This funding could have provided additional resources to help prevent a tragedy before it ever occurred.

However, if something were to happen, I believe our community would deserve answers. If mistakes were made, if warning signs were ignored, or if anyone failed in their responsibilities, I believe those facts should come to light and those responsible should be held accountable.

I do not believe attorney-client privilege should be used as a shield to prevent accountability in the aftermath of a tragedy involving our children.

To me, transparency means being willing to answer difficult questions, even when the answers may be uncomfortable.

Transparency isn’t just something I talked about when running for office. It’s a commitment I made to the people of Pennfield, and it’s a commitment I intend to keep.

Our students deserve to be safe. Our families deserve answers. And our community deserves transparency and accountability from the people elected to represent them.

10/10/2026

🗳️ 24 DAYS TO GO!

Election Day is right around the corner! Do you have a plan to vote? Make sure to ask a friend, too!

Want to show you’re All In With Austin? Sign up for a yard sign here! 👇

https://forms.gle/Pvjse5XWdPYNfGVE7

09/25/2026

📬 Keep an eye on your mailbox, Pennfield!

Absentee ballots will soon be arriving in mailboxes across our community. As you fill yours out, make sure you keep going and find the nonpartisan section of the ballot, that’s where you’ll find the Pennfield School Board race.

I would be honored to earn your vote for another term serving the students, staff, families, and community of Pennfield.

✅ Austin Brown for Pennfield School Board

Every vote matters. Thank you, Pennfield!

Please share this post with your friends and family.

09/13/2026

Grateful to receive this endorsement!

‼️ Endorsement Alert ‼️
We proudly support Austin Brown - Pennfield School Board Trustee

09/11/2026

🐾💚 TONIGHT is the Pennfield Schools Community Tailgate!

Come enjoy an evening of food, family-friendly games and activities, live music, local organizations, giveaways and plenty of Panther spirit!

Tonight, September 11
Tailgate: 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Outside the Pennfield Football Stadium
Followed by the varsity football game at 7:00 p.m.

Tonight is all about bringing our community together, and we want everyone to be able to join the fun. That’s why admission to tonight’s football game is FREE!

Bring the whole family, enjoy the tailgate and stay to cheer on our Panthers as they take on Jackson Northwest. Let’s fill the stands and show our Panther pride! We can’t wait to see you tonight! 💚🏈

09/05/2026

🪧 Signs are popping up all across Pennfield! 🪧

It’s pretty awesome driving around the community I call home and seeing our signs in yards. I truly appreciate everyone who has shown their support!

If you’d like a sign for your yard, fill out the form below and I’ll make sure we get one to you!

👉 https://forms.gle/Pvjse5XWdPYNfGVE7

Thank you, Pennfield!

08/24/2026

Welcome back, Panthers! Let’s have a great 26-27 school year!