Board approves emergency operations plan, athletic and organizational memberships, and superintendent salary increase

The Oak Park Board of Education approved a set of administrative items during its June meeting, including an updated emergency operations plan, membership renewals and a superintendent salary increase that the board amended before passage.

Emergency operations plan: The board moved and approved adoption of the Oak Park Emergency Operations Plan, an item that trustees previously reviewed at an earlier meeting. Trustee Clark made the motion and Trustee Corcoran seconded; after a roll-call vote the motion passed. The board had no additional questions on the plan during this meeting.

Athletic and organizational memberships: The board adopted a resolution enrolling the district’s secondary schools in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) for the 2025–26 membership year, effective Aug. 1, 2025–July 31, 2026. The board also approved renewing membership in the Michigan Association of School Boards for the 2025–26 fiscal year (the MASB membership was listed at $6,508.69 in board materials). These were routine renewals the board typically approves annually.

Superintendent salary increase: The board considered a motion to provide the superintendent a salary increase tied to the superintendent’s amended contract. The initial motion proposed a $5,000 increase for the 2024–25 school year, paid on the superintendent’s June 20, 2025 paycheck. During discussion trustees debated whether a larger percentage increase would be appropriate and moved to amend the amount to $8,600 (approximately 4%). The amendment passed; the board then approved the main motion with the amended amount. Board members discussed comparative pay and the district’s recent and anticipated student achievement data during the debate.

Budget presentations and other information items: The board received the final amended 2024–25 budget and a proposed 2025–26 budget presentation from Chief Financial Officer Charice Foster. Foster explained changes in revenue and expenses, noting increased state and federal grant activity but the loss of “enrollment stabilization” funding and ESSER timing effects. Foster said the district’s general fund balance is projected to remain positive and noted special-fund variances (food services, student activity funds, debt service and sinking fund) and ongoing monitoring. Trustees asked for more detailed financial statements and periodic (quarterly) updates.

Other items: The board also approved routine consent agenda items earlier in the meeting (minutes and personnel actions) and heard informational items including staffing changes and a request to separate job responsibilities in athletics and school safety/security to distribute workload.