School Board Defends Sheiko Elementary Name Change

Despite rancorous public comments Monday night, the renaming of Green Elementary to stands after t voted down a motion to rescind its  to change the building name.

Members of the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society and others packed Laker Commons in prior to the 5-2 vote, before which Trustee Matt Chase criticized Vice President Bruce Tobin’s motion at the June meeting to change the name of the school.

“There was no way we could comment or say negative things with Mrs. Sheiko standing in front of us, crying. I’m not sure if we could possibly have an open, public discussion on whether that was a legitimate decision,” Chase said.

The to change the name of the school, during which Trustee Melanie Torbert abstained, saying she wanted to conduct “due diligence” and she had not received necessary historical information prior to the vote.

Since then, Harwell Green's descendants have come forward to protest the name change.

Tobin defended his motion and the board’s decision, claiming the Green family — who originally owned the original school, a one-classroom wooden building constructed in the 1850s near Savoie Trail and Green Road — were duly honored by the subsequent decision to rename the district media center, the Green Media Center.

Further, Tobin claimed, the element of surprise served as a memorable tribute for Sheiko, a highly respected figure within the district who retired in June after 26 years served as principal at the same school.

Torbert again criticized Tobin’s justification. “Do you feel it was proper to not notify the public? Do you really feel that we have the authority to make decisions like that at a moment’s notice? I understand the element of surprise … but as elected officials, we have an obligation … that we deliberate in public,” she said.

Tobin replied that the board had the authority to change the name of the school and exercised it. He said the board had the opportunity to table the issue if it voted to do so and chose not to. He considered the issue “mundane,” he added.

Chase criticized Tobin’s choice of words, calling it “mind-boggling” that he would consider the issue mundane. Chase and Torbert were the lone dissenting voters.

The board also heard from a decidedly pro-Green public comments portion of the meeting, including Buzz Brown, president of the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society. Brown criticized the nature of the debate, claiming the issue should not be of legalities.

“It’s not an issue about deeds … it’s not a matter of asking the Greens if we should keep the name,” Brown said. “That’s where we have failed. To even consider changing the name tells me that you just don’t get it. How are we going to teach our kids social studies so that they don’t make decisions in the future because they don’t understand the past?”

Superintendent apologizes for deleting part of meeting from replay

Superintendent JoAnn Andrees publicly apologized for deleting a portion of the June 13 meeting from replay telecasts on Civic Center TV, during which Torbert, Tobin, Chase and President David Einstandig had a 12-minute argument of the issue.

The video was later published to YouTube and Andrees said that she "might have had second thoughts" if she knew of the debate that would continue to surround the issue through Monday.

"I take full responsibility for the decision to edit that tape, nor did I inform board members of my decision," Andrees said. "(The airing of meetings in their entirity) is a courtesy and not a legal obligation."