BRANDON TOWNSHIP – The northeast corner of Oakland County often feels removed from the arms of regional government. Brannon Brown wonders how many people are even aware of the entity called Oakland Schools.
The local resident is among those calling for major reform of the intermediate school district structure, especially in light of recent financial scandals in Oakland Schools.
Brown has a passion for public policy, joining both the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Michigan School Board Leaders Association. He was an unsuccessful candidate for state senate in 2002.
There is a more basic motivation, however.
“My interest is, first of all, as a taxypayer,” he said, noting that he was at the September 2001 truth-in-taxation hearing for the special tax levy requested by Oakland Schools. Brown and others say the sales pitch was for special education, but an independent report from The Whall Group says $18.6 million from that millage is going toward a new $29 million office building (which Brown calls “a palace”).
“The system has set up a scenario where 4 or 5 percent of the voters come out and pass a tax hike on 100 percent of the people,” he said.
Other big issues have included practices of now-former intermediate superintendent James Redmond, including the establishment of the MINDS Institute, to which a report says Oakland Schools has paid $4 million since 2000.
These are examples of why Brown questions the “viability” of the intermediate school district concept.
“How many kids do they educate for the cost to the taxpayer? The answer is zero; they may help with support services, but from the taxpayers’ perspectives a cost-benefit analysis needs to be done on that,” he said.
The Oakland Schools Board of Education is not directly elected, but are chosen by local school districts. Brown supports a proposal by state Rep. Ruth Johnson (R-Groveland Township) to make intermediate school boards directly accountable to voters, and he believes consolidating elections would generate more voter interest.
“You see the outrage from a lot of voters, and that’s a good thing, yet what can they do? They have no recourse,” Brown said. “When you’re overseeing a $200 million budget, there needs to be some direct accountability to the public.”
Brown also called Redmond’s $270 million contract “obscene and reckless.” His dismissal was “a good start,” but Brown wants more.
“I would recommend that the board resign – every one of them,” he said.
Brown is not necessarily calling for the abolition of the intermediate school district, and he recognizes the value of some of the support services and other learning ventures. He is a tennis coach in the Holly school district, for example, but wants to see better priorities.
“I think it is a good thing, provided we’re meeting basic needs,” he said, but “each year Michigan graduates about 38,000 kids who can’t read.”
Brandon Township Treasurer Linda Owen said local taxpayers now pay 3.4224 mills in property taxes directly to Oakland Schools.