Week in Review: Walk for Israel and More

Here's a recap of the biggest stories in West Bloomfield during the week of May 6-May 12.

A lot happened this past week, and we want to make sure you didn't miss a thing. Here are some of the biggest stories: The sound of the shofar being played, passing cars honking in approval, and over one thousand marching down Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield on Sunday could only indicate another year of Israeli independence being celebrated at Temple Shir Shalom.  The event, now in its seventh year since being reorganized by a group of volunteers, hearkens back to annual celebrations organized by the Metro Detroit Jewish community since the establishment of the Jewish state on May 14, 1948. A former aide of State Rep. Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) told Patch that she was wrongfully fired almost three years ago, an allegation …

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Third Time a Charm for BHS High School Consolidation Millage

Now the focus moves toward implementing the two-year transition plan for a unified Bloomfield Hills High School under one roof.

  The Bloomfield Hills Schools and Superintendent Rob Glass asked voters for one last shot to resolve a decade-long community dispute over the future of the district's high schools, and they got it Tuesday. The proposal approving use of $59 million in public bonds passed by a 61 percent margin, according to election results from the Oakland County Elections Office. Now, the focus will be on implementing a two-year, multifaceted transition plan to use the bonds to house both Andover and Lahser high schools under one roof on the current Andover campus. "Now we have to execute," Glass acknowledged amid the fervor of district supporters and volunteers celebrating the victory Tuesday evening at the Ultimate Soccer in Pontiac. "We've heard …

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Critical Questions About the BHS High School Vote

Nearly a decade of often heated debate will culminate today in what the Bloomfield Hills Schools says will be the final vote on the high school dilemma.

  Pass or fail, today's vote will mark the beginning of a new era in Bloomfield Hills Schools history. Here's a last-minute primer for those heading to the polls. For previous coverage, visit the Bloomfield Hills Schools High School Consolidation Millage Topic Page. The district plan calls for roughly $79 million to merge the high schools under one roof. Voters are being asked to approve $58.6 million in bonds (1.16 mills) to make it happen. The owner of a home with a taxable value of $250,000 is expected to pay $290 annually; and the owner of a home with a taxable value of $150,000 is expected to pay $174 annually. The district's existing bond debt, however, is set to decrease in 2014 due to a reduction in Sinking Fund millages approved …

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Letter to the Editor

OPINION: Get Out, Go Vote, and Look Forward

Readers Should Begin Anticipating What Happens After Tuesday.

  Like many Patch readers, I will be voting YES on May 8th, 2012. Positions are now firmly established so I only urge everyone to mark the date and get to the polls. I also urge Patch readers to begin anticipating what happens after May 8th. I have been very frustrated at times with the mode of argument adopted by some no voters and members of 20/20 in particular. But, as far as I can tell, most members of 20/20 are interested, like many of us, in the reform of public education. Public education itself is under severe attack – not by those who want reform but by those who want it abolished completely. This is not hyperbole. On May 1st, when many of us were wrangling over how we could afford to renovate Andover to help with high school …

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Letter to the Editor

OPINION: One Building on One Campus is the Right Thing to Do

The vote on May 8th will determine the structure of the school and the reputation of the community for generations to come.

  I just spent more on stationary and stamps to send my neighborhood a letter about the school bond than what it will cost more a year in taxes to appropriately right-size our high schools. Bloomfield Hills High School, home of the Black Hawks, opens in the Fall of 2013 regardless of the bond's passing. The vote on May 8th will determine the structure of the school and the reputation of the community for generations to come. Voters will decide if all students will be on one campus in one renovated building OR if the student body is divided into two old and out-dated buildings (with 9th graders permanently alone in one of those buildings). The one building on one campus solution saves the district $2.4 million in operating costs annually. …

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Letter to the Editor

OPINION: The Most Important Thing to Attract Young Families is to Vote 'YES'

Private school parent finds some common misconceptions when talking to neighbors

  I was walking my neighborhood today trying to share the importance of voting on May 8th & I was utterly surprised by how many of our neighbors are misinformed about the May 8th vote. Here are some common misperceptions: Jeff Zupancic, Bloomfield Hills

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Letter to the Editor

OPINION: BHS - Achieving the Very Best of Small School Benefits

Creating a small class and small school feeling in a larger high school building is possible.

  I have a fifth grader at West Hills Middle School. He was moved as a fourth grader from a “small” elementary school of about 350 kids to the middle school numbering nearly 600 kids as part of our last consolidation. At West Hills, the 4/5 grades are nestled in a wing all by themselves. My son has a small single classroom elementary educational experience. He gets all the benefits that the building can offer, like more computers, a large gym and field house, band rooms, and art facilities. He now has the opportunity to take accelerated classes with the 6th graders, all without leaving the school grounds.  He has a counselor that he never had before that will get to know him over 5 years. He has the opportunity to join clubs and school …

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Neal Charness

4:28 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012

Chris: I just received a "no" direct mail piece paid for by Americans for Prosperity, the super pac funded by the Koch family out of Texas. I don't care what anyone's personal politics are--this is a school election. But, for you to have the temerity to raise campaign finance issues and then bring in money from Texas at the last minute. Do you wonder why you're becoming a pariah regardless of the…   more ›

Letter to the Editor

OPINION: BHS High School Bond to Maintain Excellence and Property Values

"How are the schools?" Was our first question upon moving to the district.

When we were deciding to move to the Bloomfield Hills district 20 years ago, our first question was "How are the schools?" The answer then was "Excellent!" Our two children both got a high quality education here, with broad academic choices including AP classes, small class sizes, and a wonderful music program.  Our last child is graduating this year, and all the children in the district deserve this same superb education. The high school renovation planned with the BH school bond will enable the excellence of the academic programs to continue, even in the face of shrinking school funding and enrollment. A single renovated building will reduce the cost of maintaining two old, degrading buildings and allow efficiencies that will save money …

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Voter Education Under Way in the Bloomfield Hills Schools

Students showcase talent as residents ask questions about the May 8 vote.

  After weeks of touring the district and talking about the benefits of a unified Bloomfield Hills High School, Superintendent Rob Glass is ready to start showing the promise of students today and the years ahead. The technical evidence — PowerPoint slides and large graphic displays detailing enrollment and projected tax savings — he used during the series of town hall meetings about the $58 million bond request have been replaced. At the community chat about the upcoming May 8 election at the Bloomfield Township Senior Services Center last Friday, Glass wanted the students' talent to speak for itself. So he opened with performances from 4th grade students participating in East Hills Middle School's rendition of Aladdin, and a dramatic …

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Edward Sander

9:52 am on Friday, April 6, 2012

It is time to vote YES for the new high school. I can understand that there are differences of opinion, but at this point I don't think a debate will help. Both sides have offered ample opportunities for the community to come out and understand the merits of their side. At the meetings I attended there were people from both sides and nobody was put down for expressing their opinions. BHSD offers …   more ›