Quick Hits: BHS Approves More Than $4.5 Million in Building Maintenance

The hosted their first meeting since spring break on Thursday. Several students and staff were honored for achievements that will be highlighted in future coverage on Bloomfield Patch, so stay tuned. For others that missed the meeting or didn't stick around after the awards and accolades, here are some highlights:

Building Maintenance Bids

The board unanimously approved several expenditures related to building maintenance.

• More than $4.5 million from the Sinking Fund in contracts to venders for general building maintenance throughout the district. The majority of projects will be completed over the summer.
• $278,227 from the Sinking Fund for specific interior improvements to , and elementary schools.
• $9,700 from capital improvement funds for moving central administration from their to the refurbished wing of the Doyle Center. The move will be completed in June.

Superintendent’s Report

Superintendent Rob Glass briefly discussed the ongoing negotiations with the BHS teacher’s union, and decisions taking shape in Lansing, including the cutoff dates for the start of full-day kindergarten.

Glass said the teacher negotiations were moving forward and that he hoped to have them complete in a few months. Though he supports retirement reform, he also addressed what he sees is a disturbing national trend of teachers retiring due to national standards and stark changes in compensation and retirement packages. The board formally accepted 10 resignations from staff later in the meeting.

“We don’t want to see this happen but need to work on these economic realities,” he said. “We don’t have any easy answers.”

Regarding Kindergarten, Glass said recent indications are that the Legislature will delay the start of moving up the cut-off date for kindergarten enrollment for one more year to 2013-14, and that it will be implemented in phases. Further details are pending.

“This is good news.We think it’s trending in the right direction,” Glass said.

High School Transition

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Ed Bretzlaff rounded up the four meetings the district scheduled to discuss the high-school transition process if the May 8 bond proposal passes or fails.

Bretzlaff said the attendance averaged about 35 parents that generated a list of 60 questions. The questions and answers will be posted on the district website and will be emailed to parents shortly.

He also said the voting process for the new is complete and that the district is working on a date to reveal it to the public, similar to how the Black Hawk name was announced in February.

Community Partnership Committees

The board received a formal report of the community partnership committees, which were established in January to spur community involvement and collaboration in school district affairs.

Charlie Fleetham, president of Project Innovations, Inc. that facilitated the program, said 60 people in all participated on the four committees, including 46 members of the community. Highlights included development of the Lighthouse Speaker Series, a money-saving pilot program being tested at Lone Pine Elementary School, and development of knowledgeable and effective spokespeople for district initiatives.

Fleetham said the committees will continue to meet over the summer and recommended merging some that tend to be working on similar issues.