Board of Education Meeting Highlights

July 14, 2025

Statement by Board President Colleen Worden

Trustee Worden addressed concerns about safety protocols at board meetings. Enhanced procedures such as metal detectors have been added. Law enforcement has instructed the board to act diligently - if you see something, say something. Aggressive and threatening behavior will not be tolerated from anyone. President Worden addressed the false rumor and stated that no one has been removed or threatened to be removed from board meetings. 

Trustee Jeup asked who decides if there is a safety risk. Trustee Worden indicated that as Chair of the meeting, per board policy, she will keep order. However, anyone who has a concern will work together with law enforcement to make sure meetings are in order.

District Updates by Superintendent 

In response to board questions, Dr. Tuttle itemized the Administration’s summer priorities:

        Slide from Dr. Tuttle’s presentation

• Trustee Worden asked about any legislative updates on the state school aid budget. Dr. Tuttle hopes there will be a state budget by September. Our school budget will be amended based on the state budget as schools have to make assumptions and submit its budget by July 1 without specific information from the state.
  

• At the board’s direction, a Letter of Understanding has been provided to GPEPA (parapros union). Membership vote on the agreement was scheduled for July 16, 2025.

        Slide from Dr. Tuttle’s presentation

• On August 8th, the district will host a Parapro Job Fair. Find more information here.
  

  
  

• Bond Process.  Materials have been created to educate the community about the proposed bond. Initial informational materials and FAQs can be found at: https://www.gpschools.org/2025bond.

• Parcells Personnel Update. Parcells’ interim principal Joe Spryszak has agreed to mentor new principal, Amber Schmittdiel, until December. Parcells’ Assistant Principal, Debbie Redlin, is on leave until mid-October. Dr. Tuttle will move up the interviewing timeline to hire an assistant principal replacement for Mr. Spryszak’s position.

• PFM Financial Advisors presented about the district’s outstanding debt and the debt millage, which shows a zero-millage increase for the proposed $120M bond.

        Slide from Dr. Tuttle’s presentation

Agenda Action Items

The following items were approved with 5-0 votes (Trustees Cotton and Hull absent) in favor of:

• Approval of Contract for Frayer Consulting Services as Interim CFO with contract extension to September 30, 2025.

  
  

• Approval of Young 5’s - 5th Grade ELA materials and related PD. The time-sensitive request was approved in order to ensure that teachers receive materials to start the school year. Dr. Delgado,  Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning, explained the curricular review process and the need to comply with the dyslexia law and the “science of reading” requirement. The current curriculum, MAISA ELA units, is obsolete. It will be replaced with Geodes from Great Minds. Coach on special assignment for literacy for young 5s thru 5th grade teachers, Emily Rennpage, further reviewed ELA standards and the need for a new curriculum.

  
  

  • Year 1 of the new curriculum will be fully funded ($670K) by a 35j grant, which must be spent by September 30, 2025, to take advantage of the grant funding.

  • There is an $80K-$100K annual cost for student consumable materials and student and teacher licenses to come from the general fund curriculum costs for the district. Grants for this will be pursued.

  • Watch discussion here.

    
    

• With a 4-1 vote (Trustee Jeup voted no), the board approved the new salary band for CFO. Trustee Derringer used HR Director Moussa Hamka’s analysis to propose a range of $145K-$180K for the position. Per Hamka, top candidates are making this amount in other districts. However, the district may need to “beat” that amount to recruit candidates.

  
  

• Added Agenda Item 5.7: With a 3-2 vote, the board voted against the salary band as proposed by Trustee Jeup, which provides for salary increases based on certain credentials and experience with a salary cap of $200K-$210K. Trustees Jeup and Klepp voted in favor.

  
  

• Dr. Tuttle asked how long the board will post the position at $180K before revisiting salary. Trustee St. John asked for regular communications about the process. She is “reluctant to continue escalating the increases of central office salaries when we have so many vacancies in classrooms with our kids.”

  
  

• Watch discussion here.

Beacon Pointe of View

✨ Smaller class sizes for the best learning environment and educational outcomes.

✨ Special Education staffing and retention.  What can we do to incentivize paraprofessionals and special education teachers to join GPPSS?

✨ Mental Health supports with $600K - $750K in 31(aa) state grant funding. In 2023, Trustee Jeup and then-trustee Lisa Papas called a special meeting to cancel the grant-funded clinic that was already approved for North High School for the school community’s benefit. What efforts have been made to support our students mental health needs to ensure their academic success?

✅ (2) Join a statewide initiative to help increase Michigan school funding, which in turn will help our local budget. The education coalition’s goal is to collect 700,000 signatures in the next 6 months. The ballot language has been approved. Learn more and how you can help here: https://tinyurl.com/4jf837n7.

✅ (3) Contact Michigan Speaker of the House, Rep. Matt Hall, and tell him to legislate in good-faith on the state’s education budget to reach a resolution before September. By missing the July 1st statutory deadline to approve the school aid budget, schools are left with uncertainty about funding for vital programs and services in the upcoming school year.

✅ (4) Read and share this edition of Alliance Beacon and be sure to follow us on social media.

✅ (5) Save the Date: Thursday, September 18th for a Community Conversation about important educational issues. Join us at the Cook Schoolhouse in Grosse Pointe Woods, 6:30pm-8:30pm.

July is Disability Pride Month

 July is Disability Pride Month! It is an annual observance to promote disability inclusion, culture and visibility -and- celebrate the American with Disabilities Act, which was signed 35 years ago on July 26, 1990.

The Arc’s National Council of Self-Advocates selected the 2025 Disability Pride Month theme:

✨ We Belong Here, and We’re Here to Stay ✨

“The theme delivers a powerful message—people with disabilities are a vital part of every community. Not someday. Not conditionally. Now.”  

Learn more at The Arc, the "largest national community-based organization advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

To learn about the disability rights movement, PBS offers: https://tinyurl.com/5by6yyks

Also check out our local library's book list: https://tinyurl.com/waux868d

Upcoming Board of Education Meetings

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Regular board meetings will be held on Mondays at 7:00 pm unless otherwise noted. BoE committee meetings will also be on Monday evenings; times vary.

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Alliance Mission Statement

We seek to partner with the Grosse Pointe and Harper Woods communities in the collective effort to create a safe and inclusive learning environment where students can achieve academic success, maximize potential, and become engaged citizens in a vibrant democracy.

Alliance for GP Public Schools is not affiliated, associated, authorized or endorsed by Grosse Pointe Public School System.

Alliance for GP Public Schools Board of Directors