Board of Education

Click on a board member's name to email him or her; use this link to email the entire Board at once. 

Full biographies are here. 

Board Committees are organized at the July business/organizational meeting. Members are appointed by the Board President and typically serve terms of one year.  

STANDING COMMITTEES

Ad hoc committees may be created and changed at any time by the President, or by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which the need for a committee becomes evident, or by the Superintendent with the approval of the Board. Members of ad hoc committees shall serve until the committee is discharged. Currently, the only ad hoc committee is the Athletics Ad Hoc Committee.

Policy Committee (Chair Elise Bruderly, Mara Greatorex, Melanie Szawara)
The responsibilities of the Policy Committee include: reviewing and updating existing policies and bylaws on a regular schedule; reviewing potential new policies; and making recommendations to the Board on all policy issues regarding their revision and adoption. The Committee may use outside policy consultants and shall make recommendations necessary to be in full compliance with all State and Federal laws. 

Finance Committee (Chair Dick Lundy, Daniel Alabré, Jennifer Kangas)
The responsibilities of the Finance Committee include: oversight of the annual budget preparation; reviewing and recommending the annual budget and budget amendments to the Board; reviewing District financial performance and reporting; reviewing and recommending appropriate financial policies; recommending selection of the District’s auditor; working with the District’s auditor on the annual audit including meeting with the auditor prior to the audit and reviewing the final Auditor’s Report; and any other issues related to the financial activities and health of the District.

Contracts and Negotiations Committee (Elise Bruderly, Mara Greatorex, Dick Lundy [no chair])
The responsibilities of the Contracts and Negotiations Committee include developing Board priorities for the negotiating process with collectively bargained contracts. The Committee shall ensure that the full Board is informed and has the opportunity for input into determining appropriate priorities for each labor contract. Committee members may participate in negotiations as appropriate and when desirable for successful results. the Superintendent may request that the Committee review and recommend other employee or non-labor contracts when it is deemed appropriate. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall serve as the Committee Chair.

Superintendent Evaluation Committee (Chair Jennifer Kangas, Brian Arnold, Melanie Szawara)
The responsibilities of the Superintendent Evaluation Committee include facilitating the evaluation of the Superintendent by the Board in accordance with the Superintendent’s contract, Board policies, and State law, and include meeting specified timelines.

Facilities Committee (Chair Mara Greatorex, Daniel Alabré, Dick Lundy); Community Members Ron Darr, Jerry Brand)
The responsibilities of the Facilities Committee include review and oversight of all District facilities including buildings and property. The Committee shall oversee bond proposal preparation and implementation related to construction projects, including working with architects and construction managers as appropriate. The Committee shall monitor projects, including budgets, and will oversee planning for future District needs when appropriate. The Committee will report to the Board when appropriate and make recommendations related to facilities.

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees may be created and changed at any time by the President, or by a majority of the members present at any meeting at which the need for a committee becomes evident, or by the Superintendent with the approval of the Board. Members of ad hoc committees shall serve until the committee is discharged.

• Bylaw 0155 Committees
• Bylaw 0168.3 Committee Meetings

We Are an Equal Opportunity District

For detailed information regarding anti-discrimination policies, please see our Board Policies page and search for the terms "anti-discrimination" and "anti-harassment."

WHEREAS, the Dexter Community Schools is a Public School District created to educate all students in our community;

WHEREAS, the Michigan State Board of Education and the Michigan Department of Education have both affirmed their commitment to stand firmly against all acts of individual and systemic racism;

WHEREAS, we believe that schools are a vital part of a much larger world and need to play their very substantial role in eradicating racism;

WHEREAS, we believe that all of our students will be asked to be competitive workers in a society that assumes an ability to work in a diverse world.

WHEREAS, we believe in the ability of our schools to uplift a community of diverse ideas that recognize and celebrate all the attributes that form children and hold true to the ideal that we are all created equal;

WHEREAS, we believe that children begin their lives without hatred and bigotry, and that DCS must uphold the public’s trust by fostering understanding, acceptance, respectful civic discourse, and inclusion among our students when they enter the schoolhouse doors; WHEREAS, we wish to end violence and injustices and unequivocally declare that black lives matter and that an injustice to one is an injustice to all;

WHEREAS, the Dexter Board of Education is committed to listening to students and their families while providing a safe space where differences can be explored and accepted and the status quo can be challenged;

WHEREAS, we commit to teaching perspective: examining from our past from the points of view of all participants, not just the prevailing culture;

WHEREAS, we commit to looking inward to recognize and address our own perceptions, biases, and privileges;

WHEREAS, we commit to taking a stand against racism which has been institutionalized throughout our nation’s history;

WHEREAS, we commit to empowering students to challenge injustice and inequity through meaningful actions; 

WHEREAS, we commit to fostering connections to support and challenge one another while holding conversations and identifying strategies to lead in equity work;

WHEREAS, we commit to continuing to build the capacity of district and building leaders in understanding, supporting, and advocating for equitable practice (with intentional strategies);

WHEREAS, we commit to building a three-to-five-year strategic vision for DCS to supporting ongoing Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity work;

WHEREAS, we commit to developing a systematic approach to assessing and monitoring institutional climate, ensuring that implicit bias and its potential consequences are understood, and that people of diverse backgrounds feel welcome and respected;

WHEREAS, we commit to training and supporting the DCS Board of Education in understanding the tenets of DCS’s emerging strategic Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity vision; WHEREAS, we commit to implementing the four behaviors essential to create Culturally Responsive School Environments (Critical self-awareness, culturally responsive curricula and teacher preparation, culturally responsive and inclusive school environments, and engaging students and parents in community contexts);

WHEREAS, we commit to training our school leaders in creating school improvement plans and cultural plans to support Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity practice at the building level;

WHEREAS, we commit to engaging the Dexter Community in active dialogue and action toward achieving our developing Diversity Belonging Inclusion and Equity vision;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Dexter Community Schools Board of Education does hereby commit to stand against any and all acts of racism, disrespect, violence, and inequitable treatment of any person and to support our staff in their efforts to help eradicate racism and to create more equitable and inclusive schools for all children.

Adopted June 29, 2020

Printable PDF: Anti-Racism Resolution 6/29/2020