SPECIAL MEETING of the Clawson Public Schools Board of Education recessed until Friday, August 28th at 6:30 p.m. in the Clawson High School Media Center
A special meeting of the Clawson Public Schools Board of Education was held on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 6:30 pm with a local police department presence. To the surprise of many, the Board allowed a public forum. Many community members, custodians, school staff members and parents spoke expressing concerns for the way current CPS custodians are being treated by the District (layoff notices were issued via email to custodians on Monday, August 24, 2015), safety and quality concerns with GCA Services, demanded the Board to serve its public who elected them into office and act in accordance to the public’s desires and wishes, which was to NOT outsource the CPS custodians, pointed out that Member Kevin Turner enrolls his children in Royal Oak Public Schools, not CPS in the District in which he lives and is supposed to serve, and, finally, some expressed disappointment with the Board of Education, as a whole.
A statement was then read by Kevin Turner explaining that this special meeting was being held due to the Board potentially violating the Open Meetings Act because of the failure to post the notice or agenda to their August 10th meeting (although, it was a regularly scheduled meeting, in which public attendees were present, the meeting notice and agenda are required, by law, to be timely posted). Mr. Turner then read a proposed Resolution, which was prepared by their legal counsel, which stated that the Board was “ratifying” their votes cast at the meeting held on August 10th. President Jessica Back asked for any discussion among the members.
Member Kimmi Carlesimo raised concern with the Resolution stating that the Resolution read by Mr. Turner was different than the Resolution distributed to Board Members for their review and consideration the evening prior. The specific wording was changed from “reenacting” the Board’s August 10th meeting to “ratifying” the entire meeting, including the votes cast that night. It was questioned as to why this word was changed throughout the proposed Resolution, who changed it and why the Board, as a whole, was not involved in a discussion and determination to do this. No direct answers to these questions were provided.
A second issue of Open Meetings Act compliance was raised by Member Andrea Hodges with regard to the lack of posting an agenda for last evening’s meeting in a timely manner. When quoting from the CPS Board of Education Bylaws the policy for such timely postings of meeting announcements and agendas, President Jessica Back remarked she was “confused” and asked for a citation of the section of Bylaws the policy was from. Mrs. Hodges provided that cite. Discussion continued regarding the difference between the posting of an “agenda” and the posting of the “announcement” of a meeting (special meetings require an agenda to be posted 24 hours prior to meeting date and time and the official announcement posted 18 hours prior).
Mrs. Hodges motioned to to recess the meeting for 36 hours to provide the public with ample notice of the meeting and suggested that the Board begin to work together to insure its meetings were held in compliance with its own policies and in abidance of the law [Open Meetings Act]. Discussion was had amongst Board Members and the motion was amended to include the meeting date and time of Friday, August 28, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. to resume the special meeting. Mrs. Carlesimo supported the motion, which was approved by a 6-1 vote. Mr. Turner was the only Member to vote to NOT uphold the requirements of the law. Mr. Kevin Sheridan requested consultation be made with the Board’s attorneys to determine whether or not they will have to “reenact” their August 10th meeting or whether they can simply “ratify” or “reaffirm” it.
The Board then recessed its August 24th meeting until Friday, August 28, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in the Clawson High School media center. Following the meeting, as everyone departed, Mr. Turner left the building with police protection and no explanation for same.
The outcome of this meeting is crucial to the safety of our children, the state of our schools, the financial status of our schools (note past pieces of research indicating increasing outsourcing costs following initial contracts, the fact that CPS is required to purchase all new custodial equipment at a cost unknown to the Board, and the high probability of costs being passed on to any and all extracurricular and parent-teacher groups for custodial services at their events).
The Board of Education Members’ emails are always available. Use this means of communication and contact them immediately to express your concerns, ask your questions, state facts and experiences you, friends or family have with the outsourcing of school custodial services, and tell them to reconsider their decision to bring strangers into our kids’ schools!
http://www.clawsonschools.org/downloads/board_of_education/board_members_for_2015_calendar_year.pdf
Keep Clawson Students Safe 