[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6181353,"mediaKeyId","5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1","parentId",5113196,"title","Royal Oak superintendent transition announced; board approves first reading of policy revisions","audioSeconds",235,"startMs",436000,"endMs",671000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1&start=436&end=671","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1/thumbnail_436000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6181353/Michigan/Royal-Oak-superintendent-transition-announced-board-approves-first-reading-of-policy-revisions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181353-9a7948a2abaac854eef934c3118089c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773663273&Signature=V0kIp9gyblAtiHhGRbU3yGrfSPKTA-S4jla8fILfwPr7TJNeFz8OyGv4LaANmLWi5CXxlj2T3f5V25gVlU~6se6lRF~UK~KFlYD-6pGL3RlNCcGiMutZVSxNl6qMlWTbv14bR5XAw7PVs9lPEZMWLCcYnhJwAQX6g6G9lsiXWrb2hs~4w-aKcvJsdzQ0QUe271FjIulH6Fpw364TAZQzuX9492EmnIvsVA~p-pndt~jD-UR9Eec3rymsnd4AXxv3cq3DHyZMFeniy2KBGoXzQ32YY9Move-9RQAgkHclGRSjKGCzDS7ZyIKauSyew5mtrNS0YXa3F-TvuTPS11XYuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Royal Oak Schools, MI","date","2025-06-27T00:00:00Z","article","Royal Oak Schools' outgoing superintendent told the Board of Education on June 25 that Dr. Topolsky will begin transitioning into the superintendent role during July and will be the board's primary contact starting next week.

\"Tonight will be my last meeting as sitting in the sole seat as superintendent as at the July meeting, we will have Doctor Topolsky with us at the board table,\" the superintendent said, announcing a month-long transition in which the outgoing superintendent will move into an advisory role while the new chief organizes the office with the newly hired executive assistant.

The superintendent also introduced Jennifer Perkins as the executive assistant to the superintendent and board, noting that Ms. Perkins was attending her first official meeting.

In separate business the board approved the first reading of a set of revised, replaced and recommended policies and administrative guidelines that the district's policy committee worked on with Neola. The motion for first reading was made by Trustee Tristy Alexander and seconded by Trustee Anderson; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Staff said one additional policy had been added after further research and that, if approved tonight, the set would proceed to second reading in July.

Action taken: board approved the first reading of the revised policies and guidelines and accepted the superintendent's transition plan as presented. No formal personnel vote for the superintendent role was taken at this meeting; staff said the July meeting would include Dr. Topolsky at the board table as part of the transition.

What to watch: the board will have Dr. Topolsky at the July meeting as the superintendent transitions; a second reading and final board action on the policy revisions is scheduled for the July meeting if the board follows the process described by staff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Royal Oak School Board Meeting - June 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Outgoing superintendent said Dr. Topolsky will take over as the district's main superintendent contact during July; the board also approved the first reading of revised policies and administrative guidelines for a July second reading.","taxTitle","Royal Oak School, School Boards, Michigan","taxId",38502,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6181359,"Board approves five-year transportation contract addendum with Durham School Services",574,3575000,4149000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1&start=3575&end=4149","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1/thumbnail_3575000.jpg","/articles/6181359/Michigan/Board-approves-five-year-transportation-contract-addendum-with-Durham-School-Services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181359-fa4c7957b19de3c5d4c2060ca562dc51/orig.mp4?Expires=1773663273&Signature=XSunsdvTXF1j6tiD6m7Cx9YnDE0CVaJw7la5pEgnHp5QjSpGPdYVoPI7kTsYt40HptXF8w1jbNvhWKxKFt8JRC1Qc-PnUqfnpTCqEMG91pzOZ30VI9CvPpV0CKMWTnNit4~DX1DT-SJBwGMjwYfi7DRm1OfJ6FbTSiZVDEGvNsHE52UMzvJk0k-LPZwql2jkQ4Glrzqq6RIDgL0NvQE6PcBvE2Gp40YxHaMdXLRVDWa4rKrX9L~f9ZEob46b2aeb406~Wg1UA4Gbnn~lbiW1G1Aq~z1E-2n-kwQdM2gE1UiIxKeNDyAAUToLs3ypT-Uddjv5IAShFTigITg6QzJ7qQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Royal Oak Schools Board of Education on June 25 authorized the superintendent to finalize and execute a five-year contract addendum with Durham School Services LP for transportation services.

The contract presented to the board includes a proposed rate schedule that staff described as an initial 6% increase in year one, 5% in years two and three, and 3% in years four and five; staff said the year-one increase reflects adjustments to daily route rates and a driver pay increase built into the first year.

Ms. Abella, district finance staff, said the district currently leases buses from Durham and that the lease rates include replacement of roughly 19 buses that will need to be replaced over the next five years. \"Those costs for those 19 are included in these lease rates,\" she said, explaining that the contract rates account for vehicle replacement under the lease model.

Board members pressed staff about electric vehicle (EV) buses and grant opportunities. Board members and staff discussed that EV buses typically involve different procurement and infrastructure considerations: several speakers noted that some EV bus grants are tied to bus decommissioning or to districts that purchase buses directly rather than leasing them. Ms. Abella advised the board that if the district chose to pursue EV vehicles it would need to evaluate grants, infrastructure upgrades at the bus garage (charging infrastructure) and whether district ownership rather than leasing would be required to secure grant funds.

On the contract term and exit provisions, Ms. Abella confirmed that the presented Durham agreement contains cancellation and notice clauses that would allow the district to exit under defined conditions.

Action taken: the board approved the five-year Durham School Services addendum by voice vote; the motion passed and the resolution authorizes the superintendent to finalize and execute the contract addendum.

What to watch: staff said the district will continue to evaluate EV bus grants and infrastructure needs; any decision to change from the current leasing model to district ownership would have budget and facility implications and was not decided during the meeting.","Royal Oak Schools approved a five-year addendum with Durham School Services LP for transportation services. The board discussed rate increases, lease arrangements for buses, and options related to electric vehicle buses but did not commit to purchasing EV buses during the session.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6181363,"Royal Oak Schools approves three-year extension of ABM custodial contract",140,3414000,3554000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1&start=3414&end=3554","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1/thumbnail_3414000.jpg","/articles/6181363/Michigan/Royal-Oak-Schools-approves-three-year-extension-of-ABM-custodial-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181363-30a7a0f62637d90331d80e43cca1e46b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773663273&Signature=eoskMC72cbSN8rWQJ1wzH-4M4FCijnPIZ9x5TAz~xiZREQ17PM9bXLhc~qZvup5fOMR4vJHfhcDbBC49Tv6m~RYIeo0~xBxCJObsWGVbNW1q8~PARN05kxwfBMnfprdXUlUcGAcLDrNshuxZhwagf-Y~VOhh2q5jguQAIloZ2Is6WWWoT2IBJqVF0qgfJn7JJf9fXmgyV~9KEIWLUrtOjYPt7wMgHYZpucYLMve1ojaKRKPld-PCaxV0eo6r1ty59VgRCLYlkkkJ6VDQjesQdNl7arJAXePkAeBS7TK-q6tF~OLX4Hatb7mxQMBp9Wyc2OmVukgVpt3cAOUpeYvDIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Royal Oak Schools Board of Education on June 25 authorized the superintendent to finalize and execute a three-year contract addendum with ABM GCA Services to continue custodial maintenance and grounds services through the 2027-28 school year.

The resolution approved by the board extends the existing relationship and adds three school-year terms: 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28. The contract as presented to the board includes an escalation in the first year to cover higher costs for cleaning supplies, floor finish and uniforms; staff said the first-year increase is larger than in later years to reflect those one-time and inflationary increases.

Ms. Abella, district finance staff, told the board the ABM proposal includes standard operational items and some capitalized provisions such as vehicles for site managers. \"There are 3 vehicles for the 3 managers. Included in the contract,\" she said when reviewing the scope.

Trustee discussion: Trustee Verhaizwa (board member) said the board had been \"quite pleased\" with ABM's services and called the vendor a productive partner through the pandemic and after. No trustees recorded a request for changes to the addendum in the meeting.

Action taken: the board approved a resolution authorizing the superintendent to execute the addendum; the motion passed by voice vote with the transcript recording \"Aye\" and \"Motion carried.\" The transcript does not show a roll-call tally or the name of the original mover; the second was recorded as Trustee Anderson.

What it means: the addendum preserves custodial and grounds services under the presented price escalations and contract provisions and directs the superintendent to execute finalized contract language. Any operational changes tied to the contract will be managed by district facilities and finance staff.","The board authorized a three-year addendum to ABM GCA Services' custodial and grounds contract covering 2025-26 through 2027-28, with year-one escalation to reflect increased maintenance and supply costs, the board heard.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6181366,"Royal Oak Schools board approves June budget amendments, hears $4.8 million gap in 2025-26 original budget",2793,586000,3379000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1&start=586&end=3379","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113196-9b8f6a6978ddb875beb2b76a212927c1/thumbnail_586000.jpg","/articles/6181366/Michigan/Royal-Oak-Schools-board-approves-June-budget-amendments-hears-48-million-gap-in-2025-26-original-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181366-b79813c393bb0e58050927928422f0f6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773663273&Signature=KeLV1T7MHdtTPkVA4xvnLFDV9lUZQ0D9VMXE6ZOQLu0ixxGiV7nnPOKk1Ff4tfhySfJiBZ6qammarR671WAEL~Y6UN3e2PUaEAbpHIFWkXMdOFEs-pWOtTQcQP5gSmc0QBYFtg1xXyT1rvSawMUpnkhLUEtQ-7cN7TFSVS6xjaM~X6nVa9NhcfQcTEoPccLpgpjBOwVQpBrhtZu68GqXU8q5Vc6wcBvr-jfKzQwlPbm7ygVfyCGvQZjt~vyvHtg~FnO9sxVjvIBsh8l3kicGhcd2rt77n7DHwTh7KDoaG1wTJRG5zJbnP-YWOF1rox7F7ozuFxaWYnKdhVLWJI34mQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Royal Oak Schools Board of Education on June 25 approved final amendments to the district's 2024-25 budgets and adopted preliminary budgets for 2025-26 after staff outlined assumptions that produce an estimated $4.8 million structural deficit for the coming fiscal year.

In a presentation to the board, Ms. Abella, district finance staff, said the 2025-26 original budget was prepared using a $400-per-pupil increase in the foundation allowance and other assumptions. \"At the bottom of my actual budget, we used the $400 per pupil,\" she said.

The budget presentation summarized three actions before the board: (1) final amendments for 2024-25 for the general, community service, food service and student activity funds; (2) projections for ancillary funds (debt service, property maintenance, sinking fund, technology); and (3) adoption of the 2025-26 original budgets. The board approved the three resolutions by voice vote.

Why it matters: district staff said the 2025-26 original budget reflects a combination of rising contract costs, reductions in some categorical state funding, and the near-term end of federal COVID-related grants that the district used in prior years. Staff warned the funding picture from Lansing remained unsettled and that final audited fund balances and any late state action could change the district's position.

Key numbers and assumptions provided by staff during the meeting:
- The district used a $400 per-pupil foundation allowance increase as the working assumption for the original 2025-26 budget.
- The presentation grouped known cost increases and adjustments that, together with prior structural items, produced about a $4.2 million to $4.8 million structural gap for the 2025-26 original budget depending on which legislative scenario is realized.
- The board was presented a projected starting fund equity for 2025-26 of about $9.9 million (about 11% of operating, per staff's on-screen calculation).
- For the 2024-25 final amendment, staff said the structural deficit was approximately $1.9 million after including some late items and levy receipts; auditors will finalize the 2024-25 audited fund balance in September.
- Staffing assumptions included a reduction of roughly 11.3 full-time-equivalent positions in the coming year (reflected as efficiencies in scheduling and class sizes) and collective bargaining cost increases that staff included as assumptions in the budget.

Staff explained contingencies the board should watch:
- House Bill 6058 (referred to by staff by bill number) could change the district's PA 152/health insurance assumptions; the final amendment included a 3.5% placeholder in case that change occurs.
- Several categorical and retirement-rate changes (discussed in the presentation with references to ORS/PA 152-related line items) have moved between proposals from the governor, the House and the Senate, producing uncertainty in the net funding the district will receive.
- Food service participation and state policy on universal free meals (state funding for universal free breakfast and lunch) remain an unknown and could materially change revenue and participation in the food service fund.

Staff walked the board through fund-level details:
- Community service fund (which houses early childhood programming and the Churchill program) showed a projected deficit of about $955,000 for the current year and $809,000 for 2025-26; staff said expansion of GSRP (Great Start Readiness Program) and tuition adjustments for preschool help narrow that gap.
- Food service fund showed a current-year structural deficit of about $560,000 driven in part by capital projects (new loading dock at Royal Oak High School and equipment) and by assumptions about ongoing state support for universal meals.
- Student activity funds were presented as pass-through activity accounts with projected revenue and expenditures of roughly $1.5 million and a current fund balance of about $815,000; staff emphasized these are activity-specific dollars, not available to the general fund.
- Ancillary funds discussed included the debt service fund (levy proceeds to pay bond debt), a 2022 sinking fund (expected to generate ~ $4.0 million annually from the levy) and technology and property maintenance funds. Staff noted sinking-fund proceeds are restricted to capital-eligible items (roofs, parking lots, instructional technology) and cannot be spent on salaries or benefits.

Board members asked questions about timelines and next steps. Ms. Abella and other staff said the district typically completes its first amendment in December, after enrollment counts and audited figures are more settled, and that auditors will present final audited 2024-25 results in September. \"We usually do our first amendment in December of each year,\" staff said.

Action taken: the board voted to approve the presented 2024-25 budget amendments and the proposed 2025-26 original budgets for the funds legally required (general, community service, food service, student activity) and separately approved projections for the ancillary funds. The motions passed by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the public portion of the transcript.

What the board directed / next steps: staff said they will continue to monitor state budget developments, track actual enrollment when students arrive in the fall, reconcile final 2024-25 audit numbers in July and present amendments as needed (typically December) if major legislative changes or enrollment shifts occur.

Ending: staff noted that while the district is projecting a structural gap, prior use of one-time grant dollars and careful planning reduced the need for deeper program cuts this year. Auditors will finalize the 2024-25 audited fund balance in September; the board may revisit budgets through amendments if state action or enrollment figures change.","At its June 25 meeting the Royal Oak Schools Board of Education approved final amendments to 2024-25 budgets and the district\u0000approved the 2025-26 preliminary budgets after hearing staff say the district faces a structural deficit tied to state funding assumptions and contract costs.","actionData","errors"]

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Royal Oak superintendent transition announced; board approves first reading of policy revisions

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Royal Oak Schools board approves June budget amendments, hears $4.8 million gap in 2025-26 original budget