President
PKolin@bloomfield.org
Term Expires: 2022
Board of Education
The seven elected trustees of the Bloomfield Hills School Board are dedicated to the success of our students and are guided by the district's long-standing Mission Statement and the more recent Portrait of a Learner. Each year the board works in conjunction with the superintendent to create Annual Goals. School board trustees are elected in even year November elections by the residents of our school district.
Board members work collaboratively to accomplish the Annual Goals, to hire and evaluate the superintendent, to monitor and create the policies that govern our students and district and to oversee the financial operations of the district. In fact, the board trustees are not involved in the day to day operations of the district.
The school board considers transparent operations and effective communication with all stakeholders of the district to be of the utmost importance. Trustees attend myriad district and community events and are members of many diverse community organizations. There is a time for public comment at all board meetings and board members are also available via email (see contact information on the right) and direct phone calls.
The school board members conduct their business in several ways, working closely with the superintendent and the cabinet. Guided by four officers (president, vice president, secretary and treasurer) elected each January, the board meets as a whole and also in smaller committees. All meetings are open to the public and provide a time for public comment. Agendas for all meetings are posted online and on the doors of the Booth Center. Generally, board meetings are held on periodic Thursday evenings at the Booth Center, with the regular portion of the meeting starting at 7 p.m.
It is during these regular meetings that official business will be brought to vote. Oftentimes, the board will meet as a whole in a study session prior to the regular meeting. In addition, all members of the board, with the exception of the president, are assigned to one of two committees. The committees are BIC (Board Instruction Committee) and FFLA (Finance, Facilities and Legal Affairs) and typically meet once per month. All dates and times for any of these meeting can be found on the calendar on district's web site.
If you are interested in running for a school board position, please contact the Oakland County Election Division. There are papers that need to be filed by the appropriate 'Last Date of Filing,' approximately 90 days before an election.
Understanding Your School Board
Adapted from the Texas Association of School Boards
School boards: Advocates for Educational Excellence
Every local school district is governed by a school board. These school board members (or trustees) are guardians of the public trust; they put the interests of their community's youth first. Through the policies they make, school board members are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of local public education.
This is a difficult job; trustees face hard choices, self-sacrifice, and exposure to public criticism. However, it also brings a great deal of personal satisfaction in sharing with parents, staff, and students their academic successes. This crucial responsibility and the closeness of trustees to the voters make the local school board the purest example of democracy our society presents.
- Who is responsible for public education in Michigan?
- Why do we need local school boards?
- What do school boards do?
- How do school boards make decisions?
- Can citizens attend school board meetings?
Who is responsible for public education in Michigan?
Why do we need local school boards?
What do school boards do?
How do school boards make decisions?
Can citizens attend school board meetings?
Resolution to Eradicate Racism