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Board of Education Meeting Highlights

September 14, 2026: Regular Meeting

Agenda | Recording

Superintendent’s Report  

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Lauren C., South High School student representative, shared a snapshot of accolades students earned at the end of the school year:

  • a fourth-place State finish for girls varsity tennis and a strong Division I State-final performance for boys track&field with the fastest 4x400 relay team since 2014; and

  • a host of prestigious awards earned at the DAFT Michigan Student Film Festival and the MIPA Student Journalism Competition by GPS TV production students.

• Lauren also brought forth a student request to collaboratively work with the administration and faculty to provide structured feedback or a student-led calendar review to help create a balanced calendar where students fully participate in school events while also meeting rigorous academic demands.

The Special Education Update by Ms. Rici Shovein, Executive Director of Student Services, focused on organizational and procedural changes made to better collect data and support students.

• Trustee Klepp asked about Medicaid reimbursements. Ms. Shovein indicated that there are potential reimbursements for medically necessary services that are being provided.

In the Curriculum Update, Dr. Sara Delgado, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, presented:

• An overview of standardized testing data from last year that indicates students’ level of proficiency as measured by PSAT/SAT, M-STEP, and NWEA testing. Dr. Delgado reported that NWEA results show growth at all levels. District and school annual reports with this information can be found at: https://www.gpschools.org/about-gppss/annual-reports.

• In future meetings, the district will present “cohort data” to show the trend of student achievement at the next grade level. Dr. Delgado will also present MTSS [Multi-Tiered Systems of Support] offered to students. For example, a Tier III support could mean literacy coaches/specialists to assist with reading. And Tier II support may be small-group instruction within the classroom.

  
  

• Technology Use: The district is collecting data about screentime use during school and will present those findings when data collection is complete. The district’s online programs and apps are being evaluated; two have been discontinued to date. The following tech restrictions are now in place:

  1. Google Gemini AI: Blocked for students in PreK–5.

  2. Social Media: Blocked for students in PreK–8, with limited access to approved platforms for high school students.

  3. YouTube: Blocked for students in PreK–8.

  4. VPN Access: Additional controls have been implemented to prevent students from using VPNs to bypass network restrictions.

Agenda Action Items

• Special and regular meeting minutes for August 17, 2026, were unanimously approved.

  
  

• After discussion led by Attorney John Kava, the MOU for Camera Access with Grosse Pointe Woods was approved unanimously. The memo revisions maintain FERPA [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act] protections. The agreement was modified to reflect a two-tier instead of three-tier access framework:

  • Tier 1 – Immediate Access (Automatic Trigger): i. Access permitted only during the following:

    • A. credible active assailant, kidnapping, or bomb threat situations;

    • B. clear emergency circumstances that meet FERPA’s health or safety emergency standard as defined under FERPA

    • C. serious safety incidents such as credible threats, missing or endangered persons, or ongoing violent acts on campus; and

    • D. 911 calls or texts which describe any situation listed herein. ii. Activation may occur via system triggers (e.g., lockdown, panic, or fire alarms) or by direct district authorization.

  • Tier 2 – Non-Emergency Use Prohibited: i. Non-emergency access (e.g., past crimes, investigative review, or general monitoring) requires a subpoena, warrant, or written district consent consistent with FERPA and other applicable law.

    
    

  • Other notable provisions include:

    • 1.9. The Department shall not make or maintain any recordings from the access it is provided to the District’s video camera systems during emergency situations. The District’s video camera system does not support facial recognition technology. The livestream is intended solely to provide situational awareness to law enforcement during health or safety emergencies, as defined in Paragraph 1.5. No data may be recorded, stored, or analyzed outside of this limited purpose.

    • 1.10. The Department may not share livestream access or information obtained from it with any third parties, public or private. All requests from coordinating agencies must be routed through the District. Recorded footage will be released only in response to a lawful court order, subpoena, or warrant.

• Law enforcement from Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe Farms have been

  trained on the security cameras and Grosse Pointe Woods will be scheduled for training.

• Trustee Worden discussed the MOU timeline to address accusations lodged against her, on social media and at the board table, that she acted improperly by collaborating with GPW law enforcement to address questions about the MOU that she drafted.

  • Editor’s Note: Former Superintendent Dr. Tuttle discussed and stated that soon after her arrival in 2024, local police chiefs inquired about access to the schools’ cameras. And in 2025, there was a subsequent meeting with law enforcement, security officials, and Trustees Worden, Klepp, and Cotton to discuss safety and security.

September 21, 2026: Special Meetings

Combined Agenda | Combined Recording

• As noted on the agenda, the first closed session reviewed client-attorney privilege documents regarding FOIA. And the second session pertained to collective bargaining. President Clint Derringer recused from collective bargaining discussion.

• The meeting was adjourned with no decisions or votes.

  
  

September 21, 2026: Regular Meeting

Agenda | Recording

Superintendent’s Report

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Elliana O., North High School student representative, will report about how North exemplifies its motto, “Proud, Tough, Together,” by sharing events that exemplify Norsemen’s spirit.

  • Norsemen are proud of the boys’ varsity soccer team record of 10-0, with senior Matthew E. as lead scorer. And also proud of the girls’ varsity swim and dive team winning the Royal Oak Ravens swim meet.

  • One tough thing students faced was the change in procedure that requires scanning  in/out for off-campus lunch, which is now running more smoothly.

  • Norsemen showed togetherness in how Link Crew leaders prepared for the new school year to help freshmen adjust and feel welcomed.

Recognition for State Awards

Monteith’s PBIS Station Rotations. Principal Shelleyann Keelean presented about Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports that help establish student behavior expectations, safety, and a positive school environment.

The Facilities Update by Ben Matteson, Executive Director of Buildings & Grounds, included a Bond Presentation by Plante Moran that highlighted designs and timelines for the following projects:

• Elworthy tennis courts: full surface replacement and new lighting.

• South main office: secure vestibule.

• South media center: redesigned with a classroom, a lab for Michigan Virtual courses,

  creative center, collaborative working space, bookstore.

• North Performing Arts Center: new seats, added aisles, more accessible seating,

  updated finishes in the band and choir rooms, and potential accessible restroom.

• Parcells STEAM commons: former pool space re-designed with four classrooms, STEM,

  maker space, and art room with kiln.

• Trombly building:

  • Eight pre-K classrooms, a secure vestibule and air conditioning.

  • A community room upstairs.

  • A classroom for a career and technical education pathway meant to prepare

    Grosse Pointe students to become teachers

Financial Update by Andrea Agrusa, Chief Financial Officer: The district is currently undergoing an audit, with results anticipated in late October. Budget projections reflect the budget approved in June, though $255K has been added to reflect settled contracts. The teachers’ contract has not been settled.

Agenda Action Items

• After discussion and an amendment, the September 14th regular meeting minutes were approved with a 5-1 vote, with Trustee Jeup voting no and Trustee St. John absent.

  
  

• The HR Report was approved unanimously. Trustee Hull recognized Christine Kuhl’s retirement and her significant contributions to the district and community as North’s school psychologist. She also recognized retiring elementary art teacher, Michael Heenan for his service.

  • 18 paraprofessionals were hired and an additional five are in the hiring pipeline as the result of the Paraprofessional Job Fair hosted by the district.

Committee Corner

September 28, 2026: Facilities Meeting

Agenda | Alliance Recording

• Plante Moran and The Collaborative reviewed its detailed plans and timeline for a number of district projects, including the former Parcells pool area and Trombly Early Education center, and reviewed what has been completed to date.

• An online dashboard will be created to track both bond and sinking found projects.

September 28, 2026: Policy Meeting

Agenda | Alliance Recording

• Discussion of Banner Approval process for hanging banners on GPPSS fencing.

• Discussion of draft policy on E-Bikes and Motorized Personal Transportation Devices.

• Discussion of possible changes to FERPA policy to allow for student inclusion in the

  yearbook while still protecting privacy.

League of Women Voters

Beacon Pointe of View

VOTE READY

Voting has started! On September 24th, absentee ballots became available for in-person voting at your local clerk’s office or you may have received it in the mail. To kick-off the occasion, we had the privilege of hosting a voter education event: Voter Ready Trivia Challenge with Jamie Ding.

and John Lewis. Stirred by news footage of peaceful marchers brutally attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, Liuzzo drove 800 miles from Detroit to Selma to join the struggle, ultimately giving her life for the cause of equal voting rights. It is believed that Liuzzo’s killing by the KKK helped accelerate the passage of the Voting Rights Act.1

We admire Jamie’s commitment to protecting voting rights through his own legal efforts to safeguard voter data and election integrity where he resides.

Red for ED

We stand with the teachers of GPEA as they reach a tentative agreement with the district, and we applaud their hard work and determination at the bargaining table. An investment in our teachers is an investment in our students, schools, and community.

Upcoming Board of Education Meetings

Click here for calendar

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