Meeting Minutes: District Appoints Staff, Discontinues TB Tests, Awards Contracts

In the darkened lobby of the Dearborn Schools Administration Center, the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education held its regular–meeting despite the fact that a thunderstorm Monday.

During the 20-minute meeting, the district agreed to appoint four new administrators to serve a one year contract, and renew several others for two years, discontinue tuberculosis testing for employees and award contracts for paper supplies and milk.

The month financial statement that was on the agenda was removed because power issues prevented the board from taping the meeting for residents.

The administrative contracts–all of which were for members of Supt. Brian Whiston’s executive staff–included one new position, that of assistant human resources director.

The appointments included Jill Chockol, who will replace the retiring Norma Jean Sass as the assistant superintendent of elementary education; Glenn Maleyko, who will serve as the director of human resources; Michael Shelton, who will serve as the director of special education; and Robert Seeterlin, who will fill the new assistant human resources director spot.

Whiston said the new administrators will serve a one-year contract, while existing cabinet members were re-appointed to serve two-year contracts.

“The only reason they will serve one-year contracts is that it’s a probationary period for all new staff members," he explained. "It’s just the way it’s done here."

All of the new appointees–save for Seeterlin–are employees of the district. Chockol is the principal of and Maleyko is the principal of . Shelton was the assistant special education director. Seeterlin was the director of human resources for Waterford Township. The two principal’s spots will be posted internally, Whiston said.

Two board trustees–Mary Lane and Pamela Adams–questioned Whiston’s decision to create a new position during difficult fiscal times.

"I want to let everyone know that I am concerned, because we have not had a second person (in human resources),” said Lane.

Adams said she recalled a time when the district did have an assistant human resources, but also said she was concerned about the position. Whiston said the new position is needed because of increased workloads created by new tenure provisions and other issues.

Total compensation for the new assistant human resources director will be $97,000 annually.

TB Tests

Since 1996, Dearborn Schools has required tuberculosis testing for all of its employees, but citing a lack of TB cases, the board voted to discontinue the requirement.

“I can’t ever recall having a TB case in the district,” said Trustee Mary Petchlikoff.

“If we ever have a problem with it again, we can re-instate the policy,” she added.

Under the district’s old policy, employees were tested every three years. The district is not aware of any other district the currently requires TB testing for their employees, except of new employees, Whiston said.

The tests were formerly procured at the Dearborn Health Department, which . New employees would still get the test from their primary care physician–but the district pays for the test.

The district’s new policy will save $70,000.

New Contracts, Donations

As part of the consent agenda, the board approved $658,647 in contracts for various tools and supplies.

The district will pay $51,425 for custodial cleaning products–such as waste baskets, liners, mops, buckets and brushes–to Apac Paper & Packaging. The district will also pay Apac $117,346 for custodial paper products. The district received two bids per contract, and Apac was the lowest bidder for both contracts.

A contract was awarded to Country Pride for $239,791 to provide milk and dairy products for the 2011-12 school year; the company was the lowest of three bidders.

The district will pay $51,150 for 93 software licenses for the Education 2020 Virtual Classroom. The one-year licenses are for 23 courses. These secondary courses are used for students who either need credit recovery having failed classes or for students who want to elect a class that is not being offered in a regular setting. The courses are offered at , , , Michael Berry Career Center, and .

An additional math intervention program will cost another $13,750.

The district will pay McGraw Hill $185,185 for its Everyday Math Curriculum program. The contract will provide additional textbooks and consumable supplies. The curriculum will be used in grade one through five classrooms.

Additionally, the board voted to accept a donation of $25,000 from the Dearborn Education Foundation and Ford Motor Company for updates to the Dearborn Center for Math, Science and Technology computer lab.

A Chickering baby grand piano, which will used at Fordson High School, was also donated by private resident Frank Eaman.

The board voted for all of the issues Monday night unanimously, except for Trustee Aimee Blackburn, who was absent from the meeting.