Last year, school districts within Oakland County approved an amended governance structure and consortium agreement with the International Academy (IA).

Lake Orion Community School’s Board of Education voted to approve the amendment and consortium agreement along with ten other school districts while two districts (Bloomfield Hills and Avondale) voted no.

This resolution went into effect on July 1, 2020.

In January of this year, Bloomfield Hills Schools requested an amendment to the consortium agreement stating: “The latest proposed amendment from Bloomfield does not include many of the previously raised issues, and rather focuses on some clean-up and clarification. We believe that the amendments are items that can be agreed upon by the IA Consortium members and enable the IA Consortium to move forward with all school districts that are currently in the Consortium.”

LOCS Superintendent Ben Kirby recommended the board support the amendments while also noting that he felt there was still a good amount of work that needed to be done with the agreement.

“The original agreement probably does need some work but as far as addressing the immediate needs,” Kirby said. “I know there’s been a lot of progress…I know there’s still an interest in the whole agreement, really taking a look at it and making it better. And I think that this process has kind of surfaced that and so I think it will get better. But I don’t think not supporting these particular amendments that are specific is worth holding up because we think that the whole contract that the district agreed to and that the other district agreed to needs some work.”

For LOCS, Vice President Birgit McQuiston spoke to share her thoughts on the amendment. McQuiston was the lone Nay vote when the original agreement was approved.

“I think the International Academy is a gem in our county and I think what it offers our students is an absolutely incredible opportunity,” McQuiston said. “I’m having a problem with International Academy as it stands and I always look at this through the eyes of what I feel is in the best interest of Lake Orion and I just a very weak contract and I had concerns about it.”

The resolution was passed 6-1 with McQuiston again being the lone Nay vote.

— Megan Kelley