Berkley School District needs two new board members after its president and vice president both resigned Oct. 1, and the deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.
Board President Michael Tripp and Vice President Sarah Mountain stepped down the same day, leaving the seven-member board with five sitting members: Keith Logsdon, Barrie Frankel, Jason Deneau, Jon Heger and Roger Blake, according to the district’s current roster. The district is accepting applications for both seats, according to the Oakland County Times.
One seat carries a two-month term through Dec. 31, 2026. The other runs 26 months through Dec. 31, 2028.
Interviews and potential appointments are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. If the applicant pool is large, a second meeting may follow on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. Appointed members would attend their first board meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, according to the district's Board of Education page.
Why they left
Mountain said in a Facebook post, reported by C&G Newspapers, that the dispute began when she contacted her child's elementary school principal about a bullying issue and asked for documentation. She said she was then called into a meeting with Superintendent Scott Francis and Tripp.
"They told me that it was inappropriate for a school board member to reach out directly to staff; that I am a school board member first and then a parent," Mountain wrote. "It is this specific demand that is the reason for my resignation."
Mountain also pulled her candidacy from the Nov. 3 board election. C&G Newspapers reported that the two remaining candidates, Katie Chittick and Gregory Sollish, are expected to fill the elected seats.
Tripp, who served on the board for 10 years, emailed a statement to the Woodward Talk citing "personal reasons" for his departure. He said he had articulated the board's standard practice on communicating with staff and that the practice was established to protect district employees.
Barrie Frankel, identified as board secretary in C&G’s report and now listed as vice president by the district, said in an emailed statement that the board's Culture Guide outlines that members who are also district parents "will likely always be perceived as a School Board member first and a parent second." Frankel said standard practice requires notifying the superintendent before speaking with an administrator about a potential issue.
How to apply
Both seats are open to residents of the Berkley School District, which covers Berkley, Huntington Woods, the northern portion of Oak Park and a small section of Royal Oak. Candidates must submit an application form, a letter of interest and a resume through the district website at berkleyschools.org/our-district/board-of-education.
