As part of School Board Recognition Month, Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko took time at the January 13, 2020 School Board meeting to thank the Trustees for their service to the community.
“On behalf of our students, staff and community, I would like to thank our board trustees for their enduring dedication to public education. As superintendent, I truly appreciate the diversity of experience and the professionalism this group of trustees brings to the table. They are very knowledgeable about the workings of our district and the latest issues impacting education,” said Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko.
School Board members in Dearborn develop policies and make tough decisions that help shape the future of the district. They bear responsibility for the third largest district in Michigan with an annual budget of more than $220 million, an enrollment of almost 21,000 students, and 2,700 employees working in 34 buildings.
In addition, Dearborn School Board trustees also serve as trustees for Henry Ford College. They are the only school board trustees in the state that also serve as trustees for a local college. This dual responsibility means trustees spend twice the amount of time dedicated to serving the community. They evaluate both the superintendent and college president, attend twice the number of meetings, and must keep abreast of issues, laws, and legislation impacting both grades P-12 and the college.
Superintendent Maleyko added, “I have worked with them this past year on several important projects including the renewal of our strategic plan, budget planning for the 19-20 school year, and most importantly addressing our infrastructure and capacity needs that ultimately led to the bond proposal this past November. Although the outcome of the election was not favorable, the board did a tremendous amount of work providing leadership throughout the entire process leading up to and during the bond campaign. I look forward to continuing that work as we move forward to develop a modified plan. “
The board began the calendar year with a brief organizational meeting to select new officers. Those appointments include Hussein Berry as president, Jim Thorpe as vice president, Mary Lane as Secretary and Roxanne McDonald as treasurer. Trustee Mary Petlichkoff was given an honorary gavel to commemorate her service last year as School Board President.
Below are your Dearborn Public Schools trustees for 2020. Four terms will expire by the end of the year and will be part of the November ballot.
Trustee Roxanne McDonald has served six years on the board after being elected in November 2011. She did not serve in 2017 and 2018, but was reelected in November 2018. Her current term expires at the end of 2024.
Trustee James Thorpe has served three years on the board after first being elected in November 2016 to a partial term. He was reelected in November 2018 to a full term, which expires at the end of 2024.
Trustee Hussein Berry has served on the board for eight years. He initially served from 2010 to 2014 and was elected again in November 2016 to a term which lasts through 2022.
Trustee Mary Lane was first elected to the board in November 1999, but did not serve in 2008. She has 18 years of board experience, and her current term expires at the end of 2020.
Trustee Michael Meade was elected in November 2014 and has five years of board experience. His current term expires at the end of 2020.
Trustee Mary Petlichkoff has served on the board nine years. She was first elected in 2006 and served from 2007 to 2010. She returned to the board after being elected again in November 2014. Her current term expires at the end of 2020.
Trustee Adel Mozip was appointed to the board in April 2019. He will serve until elections are certified in November, when the winning candidate for the partial term will join to board to fill the remaining two years of the seat vacated by Fadwa Hammoud. The Dearborn Board of Education, and the hundreds like it across the state, preserves public education, the core of the United States democracy. They ensure that decisions on school programming are made by people elected to represent the community’s values, culture and circumstances. They are citizens whose decisions affect students and build the local community.