Pettersen Leaving Bloomfield Hills School District

Kate Pettersen, currently the secretary of the Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education, will be leaving the district and the state early next year as her husband pursues a new job opportunity.

"It's a good move for our family and we're excited about it, but it was very unexpected," Pettersen said in a phone interview with Patch late Tuesday. She said she intends to serve as much of her term -- which expires in 2014 -- as possible before moving, and that her husband's new position does not start until January.

The ongoing recall effort of all seven board members was not a factor in the family's decision to move, Pettersen said, but could obviously impact her intent to continue on the board. Organizers are entering the final push to collect more than 5,200 petition signatures that will force a recall election likely sometime next year if certified by the Oakland County Clerk.

The petitioners accuse Pettersen and her colleagues individually of not acting in the best interests of the students and taxpayers when they supported consolidation of Andover and Lahser high schools despite a $74 million bond proposal failure in the November 2010 election.

In June, the board unanimously passed a recommendation from Superintendent Rob Glass to merge Andover and Lahser high schools to become Bloomfield Hills High School while remaining on two separate campuses beginning in 2013.

Due to the rancor and sometimes personal nature of criticism associated with the recall, Pettersen, a mother of two, said she was uncomfortable publicly discussing details of family's plans, including where they will relocate.

Her husband, Mike Pettersen, is a pediatric cardiologist at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. The family moved to Bloomfield Township in 2000 and Kate Pettersen was elected to the board with more than 25 percent of the vote in a six-candidate field in 2008.

Pettersen said she informed the entire board of the family's decision and has received strong support to continue serving.

"I love board work, my kids are still in school, I'm still a taxpayer in this community, and I have no intention of giving my notice of resignation up to the time we move," she said.

The stance is not unprecedented.

Former board member David Lubin remained on the board while his home was for sale and didn't formally resign until it was sold and he could no longer serve. Though the current board has not discussed it yet, Board President Ingrid Day said she did not expect the district to stray from prior practice.

"We'll follow the same path as last year when we replaced David Lubin's seat, and I can't imagine why we wouldn't," she said.

Recall aside, once Pettersen formally resigns, state law allows the district 30 days to appoint a replacement before the county does. Day said residents that express an interest in the seat will receive an application packet with questions and the board will conduct interviews to select the best candidate.

Day also said matching Pettersen's experience, dedication and enthusiasm for the job wouldn't be easy.

"Kate is an exceptional board member, not only at the district level, but for the entire county," she said. "It's going to be a big loss for us."