Bloomfield Hills Schools mourns death of 10-year-old student; board asks community to support family

Superintendent West told the board that the district is grieving the recent death of a 10-year-old student, identified in the meeting as Brandt (last name spelled in the transcript as Oberist) of Wei Elementary. "It is with profound sadness that we recognize tonight the passing of one of our own Brandt Oberist, a 10-year-old from Wei Elementary," West said, noting staff, students and the family have been surrounded by community support through a vigil and funeral held earlier in the week.

West asked the community to continue supporting the family and praised school staff for their response to the tragedy. Board President FA echoed the superintendent’s remarks and led the board in a moment of silence: "this board of education and I have had a number of conversations and it does mean physical security too," the president said while acknowledging the wide impact of a child's death on parents and staff.

Trustees commended school staff for their care and noted the emotional effect across classrooms and community circles. The board recessed briefly to give members and attendees time to gather before continuing the meeting.

The board did not take formal action related to the death at the meeting; administrators said counseling and community supports were being provided and encouraged continued outreach to the family.

What’s next: Superintendent West asked the public to maintain respect for the family’s privacy while continuing community support. The district did not announce operational changes to the school calendar in the meeting.