Hazel Park board appoints Dr. Katherine Kost as interim superintendent after 4-3 vote amid union concerns

The Hazel Park Board of Education voted 4-3 to appoint Dr. Katherine Kost as interim superintendent, following public comment from employee-union leaders and a lengthy board discussion about transparency and background vetting.

Unions representing Hazel Park employees asked to be involved in selecting an interim superintendent and urged the board to delay the vote. Monica Gregory, president of the Hazel Park Education Association, told the board the unions had submitted a joint statement asking to participate in candidate review and interviews and said the board’s short notice for Monday’s vote “falls far short” of that request.

Dr. Kost addressed the board before the vote. She said she had been chief negotiator with six unions in her prior district and that while there were public reports about her departure from Wyandotte Public Schools, she was not aware of a fund balance below 24% during her nine years there. “I am here because I care about your students,” she said, adding that she negotiated 36 contracts while maintaining fund balance above 24%.

Board…