Politics & Government

Andover-Lahser Consolidation Conversation Continues Before Vote Tonight

Community members digest and discuss plans for a consolidated Bloomfield Hills High School.

Roughly three dozen residents clad in green shirts stood out Wednesday night at Bloomfield Hills Middle School to show their support for the Bloomfield Hills School Board’s decision to consolidate high schools.

The brightly colored attendees were members of One Bloomfield United, a group that supports the board and district administration's attempts to cut costs and improve efficiencies districtwide.

“As a community we have to come together and invest in our schools,” said member Brandon Kaufman, who said he  supports a consolidated Bloomfield Hills high school.

Much of the discussion during the two-hour presentation focused on detailed issues of amenities and transportation offered by different consolidation proposals. But residents outright opposed to consolidation of the schools were also present.

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Dan McClorey recently filed a recall petition to oust four school board members, and said he intends to do so again today after a technicality invalidated his first request. Named on the original petition were school board President Ingrid Day; Vice President Ed Ford, and members Cynthia von Oeyen and Kate Pettersen.

He said voters rejected consolidation in November when they turned down a $74 million bond to help fund a new school. That the board continues to plan for consolidation upsets him.

“It’s taxation without representation,” he said.

McClorey said he was also concerned about extracurricular activities. He said if the schools consolidate, that would mean, for example, that two football teams would become one. He said his coaching experience has taught him how valuable athletics and extracurriculars can be to a student’s life.

“These kids are so proud of their varsity jackets,” he said. “Tell them you can’t have one.”

Bloomfield Hills School Board member Mark Bank said he has met with McClorey, and said he believes McClorey misunderstood the previous bond vote. In June of 2010 the school board voted to consolidate the schools, he said, so the plans for consolidation were not up for vote, but rather whether the community would support the bond.

He added that on Thursday, the Bloomfield Hills School Board will, among other agenda items, vote on whether to consolidate the schools by fall 2013.

Bank said the reasons for the consolidation are clear: If the community stays with the current arrangement, budget constraints will mean that extracurricular programming will be cut, followed by academics.

“If you go to one school there will only be one kid who can be quarterback,” he said. "If you don’t, there won’t be any quarterbacks.”

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