October 12th Day of Decision for Bloomfield 20/20

For Bloomfield 20/20, the grass roots citizens group trying to impeach the entire seven member Bloomfield Hills School board the day  or decision is days away.B20/20 needs for 5266 valid signatures for each board member they wish to  recall and these signatures must gathered in a ninety day period of time. The first ninety period ends on Wednesday October 12^th.

According to B20/20 Leader Jenny Greenwell the group has two options. Either forfeit its August signatures to gain a new November 12^th deadline or submit the signatures that have already been collected.  According to Greenwell that decision will not be made until last minute. 

Greenwell states that the group’s signature campaign got off to a slow start in the near 100 degree temperature days of August but is now flourishing.  A month delay in deadline dates would push the recall election to March or possibly later however.

B20/20 volunteers believe there are still ten thousand recall petitions yet to be collected from a mailing of 11,067 petitions.  Each petition packet was mailed at a reported cost of $1.28.

In regards to a less than seven member recall, Greenwell says “I’d be happy with one voice of reason on the Board. Someone to at least alert the public to what crazy thing is coming down.”  In reality she believes four more recalls would be a victory but many 20/20 members are holding out for seven or bust.

At a Monday morning PTO meeting at the Way Elementary School a consensus came easily . Everyone agreed that parking lot protocol was a more divisive issue that the budget

 When the topic turned to B20/20, one woman said that going after the entire board especially the new elected members suggested an agenda.  Another thought that was scary and a third wondered how much money was being spent

For Robert Glass, Bloomfield Hills School Superintendent, and guest speaker at the PTO meeting, the recall effort, “complicates everything”   but “affects nothing.”  In 2013 there will be one High  School . That is “For sure” and “Absolute.”

There will be a bond issue for approximately Sixty Million dollars in the fall of 2012. If it passes, Bloomfield Hills High School will be on one campus. If it fails the School will be on multiple campuses.

Despite the recall effort, Glass stressed the importance of communications, and “staying focused on what we do best, delivering product and always be innovative.”

On Thursday, October 6^th the School Board will meet at Seven PM at the Doyle Center for a regularly scheduled meeting. Prior to the evening meeting and beginning at 5:30 pm the Board will have a study session. A  Public Comment period is scheduled for both meetings.

The board members up for recall are also taking their point of view to the public. Recently they placed a full page ad in a weekly newspaper which provides direct mail coverage to the school district.

The advertisement’s cost is estimated at $1000 to $1400 and it was paid for by the “Mark Bank Election Committee.”  Mark Bank is one of the School Board Members facing recall. It is the first advertising or campaigning by the School Board during the recall period.

The advertisement is written as an open letter.  It states  “You may  disagree with our conclusion about the path we think is best , but please be assured that they were drawn after significant public input and that they are steeped in in our unwavering commitment to our children, their education, and our public trust.” The complete text can be found on the One Bloomfield United website.

 In addition School Board President Ingrid Day wrote full page article, Understanding how your Board of Education does business for Community Connections the Bloomfield Hills Schools Newsletter mailed to all homes in the district.

Recommended Reading. Schools Can't Do It Alone.

 Author Jamie Vollmer. Bloomfield Hills Middle School.

Wednesday Oct 26 7pm.  Free Admission.

No reservations required.

 Community Connections also states that there are “many opportunities are in place for members of the community to share their skills and input for the betterment of the School District. Please consider attending one of more Community Partnership Committee meetings. 

Partnership committee October meetings will be held every Monday, October 10^th through October 24^th, at 6:30 pm at the Doyle Center. The Topics for these meetings is Financial Communications, Relationship Outreach, and The Light House Curriculum.

The Public is also invited to meet with Superintendent Glass at the next “Community Dialogue” on Tuesday October 11^th at 7pm at the Doyle Center.