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 members debated whether to delay the appointment to investigate allegations raised by union representatives and public commenters about Kost’s prior district. Board President Hinton said Oakland Schools recommended Kost and that the board had contacted multiple candidates; several people declined to serve because they feared retaliation or were unwilling to take a short-term interim appointment. Board members also discussed whether they could meet in closed session to hear more sensitive information; the board attorney, Tim Gardner, was asked about legal limits.

The motion to appoint Dr. Kost was made by Miss Fortress and seconded by Miss Lafond Weiss. The board’s recorded votes on the motion included Fortress (yes), Beaton (no), Becker (no), Fox (yes), Vertee (no), Pigeon (yes), and one board member listed in the transcript without a clear name (yes). The tally, as announced by the chair, was 4–3 and the motion carried.

Immediately after the appointment debate, the board also approved a separate motion to pay Tammy McHenry a one‑time stipend of $1,000 for serving as interim superintendent for a short period; the board amended and approved that payment during the meeting.

Why it matters: the district is operating under financial strain and an interim superintendent is legally required while the sitting superintendent is on leave. The appointment came amid calls from staff unions to participate in the selection and amid public concern about both financial and transparency issues. The vote ends the immediate vacancy but leaves some staff and community members seeking more information about Kost’s prior record.

What the board said it would do next: board members asked staff to provide all relevant materials to the board and discussed the possibility of extra vetting steps. President Hinton and other members said the interim appointment is short-term and can be rescinded with 14 days’ notice under the contract terms discussed during the meeting.

Documentation: the board discussed reimbursable fringe benefits in Kost’s contract (the contract includes a cell-phone allowance and a provision for termination with 14 days’ notice). Board members agreed to publish the contract and the audit materials following the meeting; the chair said the approved audit would be posted the next day.

Quotes

“[The unions] provided you a joint statement…asking that the unions be involved in the selection of the interim superintendent,” Monica Gregory, HPEA president, said during public comment.

“It was extremely important that we treat [unions] well…and the fact that I was able to settle 36 contracts…spoke to my relationships with our unions,” Dr. Katherine Kost said in response to questions about her prior work.

“We have to have somebody. It's the law. We cannot be without a superintendent,” President Hinton said in explaining why the board moved forward with the appointment.

Ending

The board’s appointment of Dr. Kost takes effect immediately under the interim contract approved at the meeting. Several board members said they wanted additional time to review concerns raised publicly and by unions; the board directed staff to make available the contract and the audit materials discussed at the meeting.