Dear Board Members,

My name is Patrick Kuptz and my son Matteo is a child affected by this board’s recent decision to end the Infant/Toddler program at Bloomin’ West. I was very frustrated to learn that one of the biggest motivators to my family moving to this area was being considered for closure with little warning and almost no justification. Our previous home was located in what was and still is considered a child care desert, so we put early childhood education and the quality of the school district at the top of our priority list when we started looking for a new home. Our realtor (a former teacher) referred us to this area because she knew that we wanted to grow our family and that the Bloomfield Hills School District had wonderful early education programs. The person we bought our house from and our family in the district also confirmed how great the schools are. So we bought a house across the street from Lone Pine Elementary and moved.

Now, 6 years later, with three kids attending BHS, I am disappointed to hear board members who cannot explain why the program is in a deficit, but are willing to vote to close it. In a school district where my wife and I have voted to maintain or increase funding for, I did not think the reason for closing such an important and beneficial program would be eliminated so haphazardly without consulting the staff, teachers, or parents before reaching a conclusion. Likewise, I am baffled as to why, a month later, emails requesting details and answers still go unanswered.

As our local neighborhoods are turning over, older residents are moving on from their homes and younger families with children or looking to have children are moving in. The area not only has one of the most stable home value increases (5.1% - median price of 672k - outpacing the rest of Oakland county at 3.0% and $322k) of other cities nearby, but is also expected to continue to do so as one of the most competitive markets in the state. Without the added value of this program, families, especially families of teachers, will re-think where they decide to put down roots, just like we have.

What you see as a financial burden may actually be your most under-utilized asset in growing K-12 enrollment. You have the opportunity to widen the funnel of getting families to join the BHS community and stay for the long-term. Consider the bigger picture, these “extra” programs are what sets BHS apart from other districts. I urge you to reconsider. Get the community and staff involved, and find a way to work together with us to keep this program running. We have ideas to share and will happily work together with you, but we need your transparency, honesty, and support to do so.