Royal Oak Schools board adopts organizational slate, approves technology and construction contracts

The Royal Oak Schools Board of Education held its annual organizational meeting Jan. 9 and approved a set of routine governance resolutions and several procurement contracts, including upgrades to district fiber and network equipment and pavement/traffic work at Royal Oak Middle School (ROMS).

The board elected its 2025 officers during the organizational portion of the meeting. Trustee Erica Alexander nominated a colleague for president; the roll call passed the resolution to elect the nominated trustee as president. The board also approved Erica Alexander as vice president, Deborah (Deb) Anderson as secretary and Michelle Cook as treasurer. All organizational motions passed on unanimous roll calls.

On routine governance items the board adopted its 2025 calendar of regular meetings, approved committee assignments, designated official depositories for district funds and continued its roster of legal counsel for the year. The board appointed representatives to the Oakland County School Board Association Government Relations Committee (Lauren Jasinski, with Mary Anne Van Heitzma as alternate) and designated the district's executive director of finance and operations as the authorized officer for electronic funds transfers and investments for 2025. All votes on these governance items passed by unanimous roll call.

On purchasing and capital work the board approved three vendor contracts tied to district infrastructure:

- A contract with AMCOM Incorporated for a structured internal fiber cabling upgrade for $165,000 with a district-managed contingency of $16,500. The superintendent was authorized to finalize the purchase as part of the district's E-rate internal fiber upgrade project.

- A contract with Delta Network Services for network electronics (optics) for $4,422 with a district-managed contingency of $442, also to support the E-rate fiber upgrade.

- A contract with True North Asphalt for $989,365.50, plus a 10% contingency, to replace pavement and complete traffic-flow improvements at Royal Oak Middle School; the project is funded from the district's sinking fund.

Each of the three procurement motions passed on unanimous roll calls.

The board also approved regular personnel changes documented in the personnel report, which included four resignations, two retirements and two hires to begin the second semester. The retirements noted in the personnel report were Marguerite Taylor (paraprofessional, Royal Oak Middle School) and Leah Barnett (English/ELA teacher, Royal Oak High School; hired in 1992). The board approved two hires for the second semester: Stacy Fisher (science teacher, Royal Oak High School) and Rachel Kamishki (math teacher, Royal Oak High School); both hires were presented as replacements for staff who resigned in early January.

Other business approved on unanimous votes included minutes from December meetings, the consent agenda, and first readings of policy updates recommended by the district policy committee and its vendor, Neola.

What passed: all motions listed above were approved on roll call (unanimous). No motion failed or was tabled during the meeting.

Meeting context and next steps: Most items on the Jan. 9 agenda were routine annual organizational actions or approvals of previously reviewed procurement recommendations brought forward for final authorization. The fiber and optics purchases are part of a coordinated E-rate-funded internal network upgrade planned for summer 2025; the ROMS pavement work is slated to begin after the school year ends so it will be complete for the 2025-26 school year.

Votes (at a glance) - Election of officers: President (nominated by Trustee Erica Alexander): approved (unanimous roll call). - Vice president (Erica Alexander): approved (unanimous roll call). - Secretary (Deb Anderson): approved (unanimous roll call). - Treasurer (Michelle Cook): approved (unanimous roll call). - Adopt 2025 regular meeting schedule: approved (unanimous roll call). - Committee assignments: approved (unanimous roll call). - Designate depositories and investments resolution: approved (unanimous roll call). - Appoint Oakland County School Board Association representative: Lauren Jasinski, alternate Mary Anne Van Heitzma: approved (unanimous roll call). - Designate officer for electronic funds transfers and investments (Executive Director of Finance and Operations): approved (unanimous roll call). - Continue designation of legal counsel: Clark Hill PLC; Collins & Blaha, P.C.; Keller Toma; Thrun Law Firm, P.C.; Miller Canfield; superintendent authorized to consult additional counsel as needed with prior notification to the board: approved (unanimous roll call). - AMCOM Inc., structured fiber cabling: $165,000; district-managed contingency $16,500; approved (unanimous roll call). - Delta Network Services, network electronics: $4,422; district-managed contingency $442; approved (unanimous roll call). - True North Asphalt, ROMS pavement replacement and traffic improvements: $989,365.50; 10% contingency; approved (unanimous roll call). Funding source stated as sinking fund. - Approval of regular personnel changes (resignations, retirements, hires noted in personnel report): approved (unanimous roll call).

The board did not take final action on policy revisions (first reading approved) beyond placing them on the February agenda for second reading and adoption where applicable.

Sources and evidence: Motions, roll-call results and contract amounts were announced on the record during the Jan. 9, 2025 Royal Oak Schools Board of Education meeting.