Ludington School Board Dodges, then Confronts, Teacher's Union Disputes (June 16, 2025 meeting)

[XLFD]

The June meeting of a school board meeting typically involves a special hearing for their budget for the next school year, understandable since Michigan law mandates that they need to have a budget prepared before July of the next school year. 

Additionally, two other things often come up in June meetings, the first being an evaluation of the district's superintendent over the last year, which is seen as the last action item in the agenda packet for the June 16th meeting, and you will also see that they went into a closed session just before that in order to discuss that evaluation, as allowed by the Open Meetings Act (OMA). 

The second being any outstanding issues of collective bargaining with the teacher's union that have not been decided for the next school year.  Conspicuously absent at this Ludington Area School District (LASD) board meeting, along with board trustees Stephanie Reed and Steve Carlson, was any mention of any such issues.  Yet the attendance of many teachers in the crowd of 40-something folks indicated that there were likely some issues with any proposed settlement for a meeting where nothing else on the agenda would seem to attract such a crowd on a nice summer evening.  

Surprisingly, this reporter was the only one who would speak during public comment, the teacher's union apparently taking a passive role in such negotiations.  The focus of my comment was to encourage the district to choose more transparency rather than less; it's a common theme used by the Ludington Torch in order to encourage a public body to embrace simple acts of transparency that effectively cost nothing to implement but show the public that there's nothing being hidden.  The problem is that when local public bodies do not take such simple steps offered, that they illustrate their own reluctance to be accountable to the citizenry, and hence their own corruption. 

Board members and superintendent present at June 16, 2025 meeting, from left, Mike Winczewski, Alan, Neushwander, Chair Bret Autrey, Superintendent Corlett, Mike Nagel, Sarah Lowman.

XLFD:  "The last revision of the LASD 'Open Meeting' bylaw that simply stated that "the minutes shall only show action taken" was in place unchanged for 20 years, since 2006.  While this should have never been part of the policy in the first place, board secretaries up to 2021 did the right thing by summarizing public comments that were made.  What changed then?  The comments in the minutes proved that the selling of Lakeview Elementary School property was done unethically and against the interests of the school district.  The minutes were then muted thereafter to deflect the even more unethical sale of Foster School property for less than a tenth of what it was worth.  Sold under a promise that has not happened and is unlikely to happen anytime soon showing that corrupted evil seeds beget poisoned fruit trees. 

The district is four years away from these shady real estate selloffs, it's well past time in bringing sunlight back to reflecting on the board table.  I can't speak for others, but I don't speak before this board to get my name in the minutes, I do so to get my ideas in the minutes.  Conservatively speaking, I have brought about two dozen unique observations in my comments over the last four years, including this district's deafness to the public they supposedly serve by failing to recognize their ideas, their concerns, their dreams that they share with you at these meetings.  A list of people who spoke means little, hearing what they say and honestly transcribing their core statement means a lot towards your board's integrity.

It's a signature act of disrespect to not acknowledge the people you owe your jobs to; or do so, and then not acknowledge their support, viewpoints, guidance, and critiques.  Thank you.  [END comment]

Reform-minded trustee, Alan Neushwander, would echo some of my frustration later in the meeting when the bylaw would be changed unanimously in order to list those who spoke, indicating baby steps were sometimes the way in order to get things better, and sometimes incrementalism is the best way to proceed when dealing with such agencies like the LASD Board, but even he would admit that the board was much more open to transcribing the public's sentiments in the recent past, even when the bylaws were against such openness.  

The budget showed some interesting numbers from the prior budget, with revenues approaching $31.5 million and expenses just north of $31.1 million for 2017 students, with $15,453 per student being collected.  With a large graduating class and an expected small number coming in from the other end, the district is expecting a net loss of 46 students for the next school year, likely dropping them under the 2000 mark for attendance.  

Annabelle Lowman (pictured above) was recognized for her 5th place finish on May 31st at state track meet in the 3200 meters by Coach John Lipa.  The consent agenda was changed to reflect a change in the minutes of the last meeting, where Trustee Mike Nagel actually voted against a measure, and to show that Superintendent Kyle Corlett was not included in the administrative contract approvals.  

Summer committee meetings were all moved to Wednesday mornings in the week before the regular meeting was scheduled.  They noted that all teaching positions for the next year were filled.  The bullying report was encouraging, showing only two cases, one in the elementary and one in the middle school.  Overall, 723 incidents involving students were reported primarily (469 incidents) dealing with defiance/insubordination and disruption.

Agenda actions went smoothly and with no dissent or meaningful discussion:

$108K in bond spending was approved, the 2019 $101 million bond projects nearing completion,

Final budget amendments for the prior school year were approved,

2025/2026 budget was approved as presented,

The meeting schedule was approved for the next year (all third Mondays of the month at 6 PM at the administrative building board room.

Appointed Amanda Kuczynski as LASD representative to the Parental Advisory Board (West Shore ESD),

Approved changing the OMA bylaw as noted.

The crowd dispersed roughly around 6:40 PM when the when the closed session was voted for by the board to talk about evaluating Superintendent Corlett.  Over the last two years with Corlett around, these sessions have averaged nearly an hour, so one can presume this session ended around 7:40 PM and within less than half an hour after the meeting came back into session, Corlett sent out a message to staff.

The June 4 press release by the LASD teacher's union (LEA) mentioned in that response is shown below:

Both sides are definitely posturing and trying to leverage what they have to get a good result for them over the other side.  Because both sides want to project their own virtues and the other's vices, but otherwise keep the public in the dark as to what the contentious points are, we at the Ludington Torch look unfavorably towards both.  However, we find it extremely concerning that Corlett's response was sent out almost immediately after the board went into and came out of a closed session to ostensibly discuss their evaluation of the superintendent.  It would have been illegal and quite corrupt to discuss anything else during that hour or so period called exclusively for evaluation of one person's performance. 

One doesn't have to have a naturally suspicious outlook developed over the course of 17 years of reporting on poorly performing public bodies to be concerned of the timing of the district's response, coming just after a meeting where the topic was avoided by all.  A response that indicates implicitly that the board is behind the superintendent's words, while the board has not explicitly talked about the topic despite the opportunity to do so at this meeting, and they could have done it legally in a closed session for that purpose.  

But what can you expect from a board who is so afraid of what ideas, concerns, and dreams the public might bring to their meetings, that they intentionally keep them out of the minutes.  On that count alone, conscientious citizens should line up behind the teachers in any labor dispute where the demands are reasonable.