Oak Park board approves appointments, vendor contracts and two personnel hires; trustees demand security and facilities report

The Oak Park Board on March 3 approved multiple action items and voted to confirm two personnel hires the board had pulled from the consent agenda; trustees also requested an immediate report on building security and facility conditions after a trustee described closed restrooms and other safety concerns at Oak Park High School.

Votes at a glance - Oak Park Youth Assistance Board appointments: motion moved by Trustee Scott; second by Trustee Tyler; appointees Zandria Clark and Tim Sikorsky approved by roll call (all yes recorded on roll call). - Resolution joining the West Michigan Health Insurance Pool (WMHIP) for a minimum three-year period: motion read by Trustee Clark; seconded by Trustee Tyler; passed by roll call. - Appointment of audit firm (named in packet as ‘‘Manor Kastarian’’ / wording in packet): motion moved by Trustee Scott and seconded; passed by roll call. Estimated audit fees listed in the packet: financial statement audit $35,500; single audit $5,000; bond capital projects $3,500 (as printed in board packet). - Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors engagement letter (to provide bond analysis and advisory services): motion moved and seconded and approved by roll call; the fee schedule and issuance contingency language were included in the packet. - Personnel actions (pulled from consent and voted separately): - Yvonne Taylor — personnel action (assistant principal at OPPA) — motion to approve made by Trustee Tyler, seconded; roll-call approval recorded. - Robin Johnson — personnel action (HR position described earlier in the meeting) — motion to approve made and seconded; passed by roll-call; the roll call recorded two 'no' votes on this item (see vote record in structured actions below).

What trustees said and asked Trustee Tyler asked board leadership to split the personnel slate and vote on individual hires after raising concerns earlier in the meeting about security and building conditions at Oak Park High School; Tyler said students had been blocked from some restrooms and said, "We need security," stressing the board should make student safety the top priority.

Trustee Tyler and other trustees described an on-site walk-through that day. Tyler said tables were being used to block restroom doors and said one bathroom area had been out of use for more than a year; she asked that the district provide a security plan and a facilities status report, and requested the number of security staff assigned to the high school.

Administration response and next steps Board leadership and the superintendent acknowledged the concerns and agreed to provide a report on school security staffing, restroom/facilities status and a plan for making restrooms available. The superintendent and operations staff were asked to include security staffing counts and a facilities timeline in the requested follow-up.

Ending The board approved the listed appointments, vendor engagements and personnel hires. Trustees requested an expedited security-and-facilities briefing from administration and asked that the briefing be included in upcoming informational materials and the planned finance bond/study session.