Board approves laptops purchase, personnel actions and multiple policy updates; funds approved for board professional development

President Karen Bradford presided as the Livonia Public Schools Board of Education approved a series of routine business items and policy actions at the Sept. 22 regular meeting.

Why it matters: The board's votes authorize district spending, personnel appointments and policy changes that guide operations for the 2025-26 school year.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (minutes of meetings): Motion by Liz Jarvis, second by Colleen Burton. Roll call: Jarvis, Burton, Crystal Frank, Mark Johnson, Dave McFarland, Madeline Acosta, President Karen Bradford — all "yes." Outcome: approved.

- Purchase of laptops: Motion by Dave McFarland, second by Liz Jarvis. The board approved buying 90 Dell laptops (including ProDox and storage upgrades) from People Driven Technology, Byron Center, Michigan, for a total cost of $71,411.90. Roll call recorded unanimous "yes" votes. Outcome: approved.

- Teachers (employment approvals): Motion by Madeline Acosta, second by Colleen Burton. The board approved employment offers for teachers listed on the attached personnel document for the 2025-26 school year. Roll call: unanimous "yes." Outcome: approved.

- Teachers (tenure): Motion by Mark Johnson, second by Liz Jarvis. The board granted tenure status to the teachers on the attached list effective on their respective dates. Roll call: unanimous "yes." Outcome: approved.

- Retirements: Motion by Crystal Frank, second by Liz Jarvis. The board adopted resolutions of appreciation for five retirees whose combined service totals 125 years. Roll call: unanimous "yes." Outcome: approved.

- MASB delegate appointments: Motion by Colleen Burton, second by Crystal Frank. The board named Mark Johnson, Madeline Acosta, Liz Jarvis and Dave McFarland as voting delegates, with Karen Bradford, Colleen Burton and Crystal Frank as alternates for the MASB Delegate Assembly in Traverse City on Oct. 23, 2025. Roll call: unanimous "yes." Outcome: approved.

- Policy adoptions and removals (second readings): The board adopted or removed multiple policies after second readings, each by recorded roll call votes that carried unanimously. Actions included: adoption of board policies BBBC (board member expense and development opportunities), GAEA (discriminatory harassment of employees/applicants), JAA (equal educational opportunities) and JCED (discriminatory harassment of students); and removal of policies DFB (Federal and State Aid) and DJCA (payday schedules). Motion makers and supporters varied by item as recorded in the meeting minutes and each measure passed on unanimous roll-call votes.

- Board professional development funding: Motion by Colleen Burton, second by Liz Jarvis. After discussion the board authorized expenditures up to $18,000 for board member professional development and related travel for the 2025-26 school year (this includes the upcoming MASB conference and other approved development). Roll call: unanimous "yes." Outcome: approved.

Details and context: Several of the policy votes were second readings following committee review. District staff described that the federal- and state-aid policy (DFB) and payday-schedule policy (DJCA) were removed because the district administers those matters under law or contract and the separate board policy was unnecessary. For BBBC the board clarified language requiring that any single board member expense above $1,500 or any out-of-state travel be brought to a voting meeting for prior approval.

What the board did not decide: The meeting included public comment on recess and lunch supervision and presentations on bond projects and robotics. Those items were informational or public-comment items; no new districtwide supervision policy was adopted at this meeting.

Recorded vote tallies and the motions as moved and seconded are in the official minutes and were captured by the district's roll-call process during the meeting.