Saline board presses for clearer superintendent contract language, approves bond sale and tech purchases

The Saline Area Schools Board of Education on May 13 moved discussion of a final draft of the incoming superintendent's contract for further legal and formatting review, saying trustees need clearer definitions and structure before approving it, while voting to approve a bond sale and several technology purchases.

Trustees debated the contract draft after President and administrators added the document to the agenda that evening. Board members said the substantive terms of the agreement appeared acceptable but that the draft lacked standard contract structure — including defined terms and numbered sections — that could render some clauses unenforceable.

Board member Jason (last name not specified on the record) pressed the point: "The contract written is not at all an assignable contract. It needs to be structured as a contract. We need to have whereas statements. We need to have a list of definitions," he said during the meeting.

Superintendent Steve Lach said district staff are already working on transition plans and that the administration is moving forward with onboarding activities while the contract's legal and formatting issues are resolved. "We are very excited about that," Lach said of the incoming superintendent, Rachel Kowalski, whom the board selected in recent weeks.

Rather than vote to finalize the contract that night, trustees agreed to treat the item as a discussion and to convene a special meeting after legal review and a reformatting pass. Board members asked that defined terms (for example, capitalized references to "Board," "Employer," and "Superintendent") be added, scrivener errors corrected and the document returned for a final vote. The board president said she would call a special meeting as soon as the revised document is ready.

Votes at a glance - Bond sale resolution (Troon bond sale resolution dated 05/06/2025): motion to approve sale of bonds at total purchase price $59,998,520.68 — passed (7-0). The board thanked district finance staff for managing the complex sale and noted the favorable rate achieved. - Policy update (Policy 5540, "Interrogation of Students"): motion to approve updates submitted by the policy committee — passed (unanimous voice vote recorded as "Aye"). The update adds language about principal or designated guidance presence during interviews except where expressly prohibited by child protective services. - Purchase: 500 Chromebooks through Travera (vendor on REMSI consortium bid) — amount $164,500 — motion passed (6-1). Trustees discussed device lifecycle (expected five years), disposal/recycling plans and classroom device management. - Purchase: 150 Mac mini computers with monitors and wired keyboards to replace iMac labs — amount $140,092.50 — motion passed (7-0). - Designation for Washtenaw ISD biennial board election (06/02/2025): the board approved naming a representative and alternate for the district's biennial Intermediate School District election. The board recorded the designation during the meeting and voted to approve the selection (voice vote recorded as "Aye"). - Support for Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) 2025–26 budget resolution: motion to support the WISD general fund and special education fund budget as presented — passed (7-0).

What trustees said about tech purchases Trustees pressed staff on device usage and management. Director of Technology Jay Grossman explained district device plans: pre-K–2 use iPads 1:1, third grade transitions to Chromebooks, and 3–5 classrooms have a device per student. Grossman said older devices are approaching six years and the new Chromebooks are intended as replacements on a five-year cycle; outdated devices will be recycled and some retained for parts.

Board member Darcy Burwick said she had not received sufficient time to review the superintendent contract materials sent earlier that day and asked that trustees be given equitable review time for large decisions. The board agreed to delay final action on the contract to allow a brief but complete legal and formatting review and to reconvene if necessary via a special meeting.

Next steps The board directed legal counsel and administration to reformat the superintendent contract to include defined terms and to correct scrivener errors. Trustees said they want the revised draft reviewed by counsel and returned for a final vote at a specially called meeting or at the next regular meeting, as appropriate. The candidate for superintendent, Rachel Kowalski, remains the named finalist and the board said onboarding work will proceed pending final contract approval.