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Swartz Creek Community Schools board meeting, date not confirmed yet

3 h 49 min · 2 videos · 11 public speakers

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Part 1 · 1 h 01 min

Swartz Creek school board approves auditor's report 41:39

  • An auditor presented the district's audit, which included one finding on payments of extra compensation to employees that did not go through the proper approval process. 15:35
  • The board approved the auditor's report, Chuck Melki said. 42:11
  • The board approved the SCEA LOA for the band director position 5 yes, 1 no. 46:35
  • The board also voted 4 to 1 on a motion to place copies of the audit findings in the personnel files of people who issued unauthorized stipends. 53:33

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (9)
  1. Opening and agenda approval 0:00
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and agenda-specific public comment, and a motion was made to approve the agenda. 0:00
    • The agenda was approved 5 yes, and Chuck Melki said the motion passed. 1:37
  2. Consent agenda and closed session minutes 1:37
    • A speaker said votes cannot be taken in closed session and should not be reflected in closed session minutes. 2:15
    • One board member said open session minutes and closed session minutes should be completely separate documents. 6:58
    • Chuck Melki said the board would discuss with its attorney what has to be in closed session minutes and when they are approved. 11:02
    • The board approved the consent agenda 6 yes with item A, the approval of closed session minutes for 10/7/26, removed. 9:24
  3. Finance committee report 11:02
    • Ken Engel reported that the Finance Committee met on October 13th, 2026, and discussed 31AA grant money divided into safety and mental health at $147.75 per student. 11:53
    • Ken Engel said action for a vote on the grant was expected 11/4. 12:15
  4. Annual audit presentation 14:16
    • A presenter from Lewis and Knopf said the district received an unmodified opinion and one finding related to payments of extra compensation that did not go through the proper approval process. 14:16
    • Chuck Melki asked whether the report goes to the State Treasury, and the presenter said it is sent to the Department of Education. 38:58
    • The board approved the auditor's report, Chuck Melki said. ~42:49
  5. Class sizes 43:00
    • A staff member said work had been done to find additional supports for teachers with larger class sizes and that a review of the district's entire staffing profile had begun. 43:34
  6. Band director letter of agreement 44:52
    • Jenni Wolgast made a motion to approve the SCEA LOA for the band director position. 46:35
    • One board member voted no and said the item should have been negotiated during union negotiations. 47:00
    • One board member voted yes and said the hope was to get such items negotiated in the full contract. 47:23
    • The motion passed 5 yes, 1 no. 47:50
  7. Public comment 47:50
    • A speaker at public comment directed remarks at board members. ~48:18
    • Jenni Wolgast said the speaker's time was up, and Chuck Melki asked the speaker to sit down. 51:26
  8. Audit findings in personnel files 52:08
    • One board member said there had been community complaints about board members arguing and calling names, but people at the podium were doing so. 52:36
    • One board member asked whether the motion to place copies of the audit findings in personnel files should be tabled to get a legal opinion. 54:38
    • One board member abstained, citing current litigation involving individuals. 56:27
    • The motion passed 4 to 1. 56:52
  9. Board comments and adjournment 56:58
    • One board member said the audit was interesting and refreshing and that the money divided out of the district last year was inappropriate. 59:13
    • One board member said accusations had been made and that does not mean they are true. 59:48
    • The meeting was closed. ~1:00:39

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

Part 2 · 2 h 48 min

Swartz Creek board approves three teachers union letters of agreement 1:06:48

  • The board passed a motion 6⁠-⁠1 and then took up the summer tax resolution, and the chair announced a 7⁠-⁠0 result. 1:03:13
  • The board took up letters of agreement with the teachers union, SCEA, and a speaker asked to split them and vote on them individually. 1:06:48
  • The board voted on the items individually, with motions passing 5 to 2, 4⁠-⁠3 and 5⁠-⁠2. 1:41:03
  • A motion was made to authorize up to $50,000 to make the K-5 buildings equitable, and it was seconded. 2:35:39

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (14)
  1. Public comment on staff departures 0:01
    • A speaker at public comment who addressed the resignation agenda item said the speaker had left a special education department of 9 along with 4 other staff members. 0:05
    • Another speaker at public comment, speaking on retirements and resignations, cited student behavior, student apathy and the Board of Education as reasons for leaving. 2:51
  2. Agenda and consent agenda 5:48
    • Autumn Henry said votes cannot be recorded in closed session minutes and that a separate set of minutes was needed for the open session. 7:02
    • Autumn Henry moved to accept the consent agenda with the removal of item A, approval of closed session minutes for October 7th. 11:27
    • The agenda motion passed, and the roll call on the consent agenda recorded 7 yes votes. 6:35
  3. Superintendent report 12:30
    • The superintendent described an upcoming Road to Literacy evening event and early planning for a K-12 evening to share district offerings with families. 12:36
    • Asked about the K-5 reconfiguration, a staff member said things seemed to be running smooth. 20:40
    • A staff member said the audit would be done Wednesday, after which the K-5 list of needs could move forward. 22:37
  4. Board committee reports 24:11
    • The bond committee report said elementary school work for next summer went out for bids and that smart board updates might come up early because of pricing. 24:32
    • The building and site report proposed crown coating buses at about $200 a bus and said a request for 3 new buses would cost $157,933 per bus, for a total of $473,799. 30:15
    • Autumn Henry reported the Policy Committee reviewed policies 1130, 1240, 1410, 1420 and 1422 for a first read. 39:44
  5. State School Aid Act 31AA funds 40:56
    • A staff member said the district could receive $73.53 per pupil for student mental health and up to $147.06 per pupil for student safety, with a first deadline of November 9th 2026. 41:23
    • One board member asked how much of the earlier money had been spent and said they were a little bit reluctant to take more without that information. 43:51
    • One board member said they did not want to give up 95% of something because a small amount went unspent. 46:34
  6. Community survey 55:19
    • The chair asked for consensus to have survey questions submitted next month and said the cost was around $3,000 to $5,000. 55:19
    • The chair said the survey would go to the general public, not just parents, and invited the audience to email questions. 55:56
  7. Neola policies first read 58:46
    • Autumn Henry said the Policy Committee changes to the policies were attached separately from the original Neola recommendations. 59:28
    • The motion passed 6⁠-⁠1. 1:03:13
  8. Summer tax resolution 1:03:13
    • Autumn Henry asked why the approval was changing, and a staff member said the district would again collect 100% during the summer rather than splitting it between summer and winter. 1:03:36
    • The resolution passed 7⁠-⁠0. 1:06:48
  9. Teachers union letters of agreement discussion 1:06:48
    • A staff member said the letters of agreement covered longevity pay, the band director stipend, compensation for mentoring and extra hours for the high school counselor. 1:07:15
    • Jenni Wolgast asked whether the band director language meant the amount would be split or effectively doubled. 1:12:17
  10. Counselor extra hours letter 1:36:32
    • The motion approved a letter of agreement for the 26⁠-⁠27 school year on an as-needed basis not to exceed 400 hours. 1:38:29
    • The motion passed 5 to 2. 1:39:08
  11. Item 1:39:24
    • A staff member said the staff member had viewed the emails asking the individuals to do the work and stating what they would be paid. 1:40:40
    • The motion passed 4⁠-⁠3. 1:41:04
  12. Rewrite and postponement request 1:41:04
    • Speakers said the item needed to be rewritten. ~1:41:12
    • The board reached consensus to take up the item next Wednesday, and a motion on longevity pay for Schedule B positions passed 5⁠-⁠2. 1:42:43
  13. Public comment 1:43:37
    • A speaker at public comment said taxes go up and the district should be run like a household budget. 1:46:17
    • Speakers at public comment raised classrooms at Elms Road with 33 children and staff concerns about retaliation for speaking at board meetings. 1:50:25
    • A specials teacher speaking at public comment said a $200 budget was not enough and asked the board to fund the program. 1:57:54
  14. Board comments and K-5 materials 2:03:51
    • A board member said the identified list totaled about $46,000 and moved to authorize up to $50,000 from the general fund to make the K-5 buildings equitable. 2:33:46
    • One board member asked that class sizes be added to the Wednesday special meeting and said 27 is a doable number. 2:45:36

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

Who spoke

Who spoke

Ken EngelBoard memberFirst speaks at 6:58
Jenni WolgastVice-PresidentFirst speaks at 46:35
Autumn HenryBoard memberFirst speaks at 47:01
Kim WinterBoard memberFirst speaks at 52:37
Andrea FickBoard member
Chuck MelkiBoard President

Video: posted by the district as “SCCS Board of Education -- 10/21/2026”