Redford Union Schools board calls $44.38 million bond election, approves limited nonresident enrollment and orders board onboarding packet

The Redford Union Schools Board of Education voted to place a bond proposition not to exceed $44,375,000 on the May 6, 2025 ballot, approved a motion authorizing limited nonresident student enrollments for the second semester of the 2024–25 school year, and directed staff to develop a board onboarding packet to be considered at a workshop no later than March 2025.

The board adopted the bond resolution on a roll-call vote after brief discussion about planning and procurement. The motion to adopt the resolution calling the bond election was moved by Miss Marchand and seconded by Miss Miller; the roll call recorded Board members Bailey, Dean, Johnson, Martin, Miller, a voting board member listed in the transcript as “Mister Wosowski,” and the chair voting yes. During discussion board members and staff said no owner’s representative (owner’s rep) had been selected and that design-phase work would occur before construction; staff said the district’s communications partner could assist during the interim and that selection of an owner’s rep would be discussed at upcoming meetings and workshops. The board did not identify an owner’s representative at the meeting.

On enrollment, the board approved a motion authorizing Superintendent Jason Witt or his designees to enroll a limited number of nonresident students for the second semester of the 2024–25 school year, limited to specific openings and grades. The motion (moved by Mr. Osowski and seconded by Miss Martin) specified five openings each in grades 1–4 at Beach Elementary, five openings each in grades 5–6 at Hilbert Elementary, and five openings each in grades 7–8 at Redford Union Junior High; the motion cited the state aid act provision noted in the motion text. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with the board members identified in the transcript recording unanimous affirmative votes.

The board also approved starting a process to create a formal onboarding packet and process for new board members, to be developed in a board workshop no later than March 2025. The motion to begin creating an onboarding packet was moved by Mr. Osovski and seconded by Miss Johnson; the roll call recorded a 6–1 approval, with Mr. Bailey recorded as voting no and the remaining recorded board members voting yes. Board members who supported the onboarding packet said the district should compile materials used by other districts and that any packet would later inform bylaw amendments.

Procedural votes earlier in the meeting included approval of the consent agenda; the meeting then moved to the three action items above. The board chair closed the meeting after announcing upcoming meeting dates: a board workshop on Jan. 28, 2025, a regular meeting on Feb. 10, 2025, and a workshop on Feb. 25, 2025.

The transcript also records board recognition of local volunteer and donor groups who contributed coats, food and other supports to the district; those recognitions were presented during the board communications portion of the meeting and did not result in formal board actions at this session.

Items requiring follow-up or further detail: the bond timeline (selection of an owner's representative and subsequent procurement decisions), and operational details for the onboarding packet (content and bylaw changes) were left to future meetings and workshops.