Bloomfield Hills board votes to end infant and toddler program amid strong parent and staff opposition

The Bloomfield Hills Schools Board of Education voted on Feb. 23 to discontinue the district-run infant and toddler care program at the end of the 2025-26 school year, a decision that drew extensive public comment from parents, teachers and community members who said the program is uniquely high-quality and hard to replace.

Superintendent West told the board the decision is a financial one. "Currently the program is costing us about $350,000," he said during the public study session, and added the general fund was subsidizing the offering by roughly $16,600 per student served. The administration presented data showing 21 families projected to enroll in the program next year and described staffing obligations and state-required ratios that raise operating costs.

Board debate: Trustees pressed the administration for alternatives, including higher tuition, consolidation of rooms or phased transitions. The administration said tuition increases large enough to close the gap would make the program unaffordable; staff said breakeven would require raising tuition by about $16,600 per child (from roughly $11,000 to about $27,000 annually for an infant-era slot).

Public comment: Dozens of parents, early-childhood staff and community members told the board that high-quality infant care is scarce locally, that families often wait a year or more for openings, and that the district program provides developmental monitoring and special-education entry points otherwise difficult to access. "Three and a half months is not nearly enough time to make alternative plans," said one parent during public comment. Teachers and parents described long wait lists, instances where teachers identified delays that led to earlier intervention, and the disruption a closure would cause for infants and for staff livelihood.

"This program has been operating at a loss, but education is not just a revenue-generating venture," said Allison Smith, a parent who credited the infant program with early identification and referral for her child who later received an autism diagnosis and supports. Staff members urged the board to consider phased alternatives and to engage more time with families and labor representatives before finalizing the decision.

The vote and consequences: The motion to discontinue the infant and toddler program passed 4-2. Trustees who voted in favor cited the structural budget deficit, declining enrollment and the need to preserve K-12 core services in the district budget. Trustees opposed said the district should exhaust other cuts and provide more time for families and staff to transition.

Next steps and district supports: The administration said it plans to implement a transition plan if the board's decision is implemented, including communications to families, meetings with affected staff starting immediately, and human-resources support including potential retention bonuses and internal reassignments where possible. The district also said it will explore partnerships (including with county parks and other providers) and possible expansion of existing preschool programs (GSRP and tuition preschool) to absorb some demand.

What remains unclear: The district did not present an immediate replacement provider for current families and acknowledged that three months is short for many families currently on yearlong wait lists. The decision will take effect at the end of the 2025-26 school year; the district said it will work on an orderly transition but recognized community frustration about timing and transparency.