At a glance: Board approves consent agenda, merit pay, bus purchase and gift acceptances; FOIA appeal denied
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Summary
The Midland Public Schools Board approved consent agenda items including $16.6M in bills, a $2,500 merit pay goal, a $978,132 bus purchase and accepted gifts totaling $30,719.49; the board denied a FOIA appeal by roll call and directed counsel to produce documents in pending litigation.
The Midland Public Schools Board of Education took several formal actions Oct. 20:
- Consent agenda (items 2.1–2.5): Approved (minutes, hires, resignations, July/August check registers totaling $16,615,911 and legal payments). Motion moved and supported; approved by voice vote.
- Merit pay goal (Item 3.6): Approved a $2,500 merit pay tied to a points‑based ELA growth/proficiency goal after trustees reviewed cohort and growth data; motion carried by voice vote.
- Facility assessment RFP award (Item 6.2): Selected GMB/Clark/3 Rivers for the district facilities assessment (see separate coverage). Motion carried by voice vote.
- Bus purchase (Item 6.3): Approved issuing a purchase order to Midwest Transit (Eaton Rapids) for six buses (mix of 77‑ and 45‑passenger buses, including two with wheelchair lifts) for $978,132 using Series 3 bond funds; board discussed fleet commonality as reason for not choosing the lowest bidder.
- Gifts (Item 6.4 & 6.5): Accepted gifts totaling $30,719.49 (Dow High Boosters and athletic trainer equipment) and recorded additional gifts for information totaling $15,615.64.
- FOIA appeal (Item 7.1): The board denied a FOIA appeal seeking attorney fee/payment records on the grounds that those records were not in district possession and are handled by the district’s insurance carrier; the denial was recorded via roll call with all listed trustees voting to deny.
- Counsel direction (Study session): On a motion from Trustee Horowitz, the board directed district counsel to produce billing documents in counsel’s possession to opposing counsel in light of pending litigation; the motion carried on voice vote.
Where votes were taken by roll call (FOIA appeal), the transcript recorded individual 'deny' votes for President Rausch; Vice President McFarland; Secretary Ringgold; Treasurer Lauterbach; Trustee Blasey; Trustee Craig; and Trustee Horowitz. Other approvals were by voice vote and recorded as 'motion carries.'