Board ratifies four-year teacher contract and administrative agreement

The Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education ratified a four-year contract with the Bloomfield Hills Education Association (BHEA) and approved a contract with the Bloomfield Hills Schools Administrative Council. Trustees voted unanimously, 7-0, to ratify the four-year agreement with the teachers' union during the board business portion of the meeting. The board also approved a contract with the district's administrative council; that motion passed with a 6-0 tally and one abstention recorded by Trustee Southward, who cited a conflict of interest. Superintendent Rick West and board members thanked negotiating teams on both sides during the public meeting. The administration acknowledged staff and union representatives who participated in negotiations, and the board praised what it called cooperative negotiations that produced agreements before the start of the school year. The board discussed the teacher agreement in closed session earlier in the meeting and later voted to ratify it in public session. Trustees said the multi-year settlements provide stability for the start of the school year and should help with recruitment and retention efforts. Both contracts move forward as approved in the motions presented on the agenda.