Bloomfield Hills Schools Adds Assistant Superintendent to Financial Team

Anticipating another tough fiscal year, has shored up its finance team by adding an experienced operations official from another district. 

Christina Kostiuk was recently named assistant superintendent for business services in a unanimous decision by members of the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education. She begins her duties with the district Friday.

The Shelby Township resident is a certified public accountant and was executive director for business and finance at the Port Huron Area School District for the past two years. During her time there, the district identified more than $7 million in savings for the 2010-11 school year and implemented several cost-saving changes, officials said.

This year, Bloomfield Hills Schools filled a projected $6 million shortfall in the 2011-12 operating budget with roughly $3.4 million in cost reductions and more than $3 million of reserves.

The picture didn't appear much rosier for the near future under projections drafted by Bob Brazda, interim superintendent of business services and a CPA with Plante & Moran.

Prior to her work with the Port Huron district, Kostiuk spent more than two decades with the accounting firm Plante & Moran, where she worked within the school-district practice as an assurance partner. She audited numerous school districts, including Bloomfield Hills, during her career and also trained other auditors in the specialty.

Kostiuk graduated from Wayne State University and is seeking certifications from the Michigan School Business Officials as a chief financial officer. She also is working to become certified by the Association of School Business Officials International as administrator of school finance, a district news release stated.

She is also affiliated with several professional organizations.

“Tina brings us a high level of professional competence, integrity and credibility that is essential to this position,” said Superintendent Rob Glass in a written statement. “She is also very customer-focused, an excellent communicator and collaborative. These qualities will enable her to interface with the public and listen to new ideas.”   

Kostiuk succeeds Tim Weeks, who resigned in early January to run his own company, Erickson said. He was appointed to the position in 1999.

"There are some challenges ahead, but I'm excited to get started," Kostiuk told the Board of Education at its June 16 meeting.