Board approves resolution to request Section 31AA funds with superintendent authority to rescind amid litigation

The Redford Union Board of Education voted Dec. 1 to adopt a resolution allowing the district to request funds under Section 31AA of the State School Aid Act while litigation over that section remains pending, and to give the superintendent authority to rescind the request up through 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 30, 2025.

Board members discussed the merits and risks of the funding. Administration estimated the one-year funding could range in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars and could finance about three mental-health personnel, but the dollars would not be guaranteed beyond the current fiscal year. "So if we don't accept this, it's not gonna sink any programs or it's not gonna cripple a school district or anything," Mister Bailey said during discussion, urging caution about attorney-client-privilege implications and long-term commitments.

Other trustees said the potential funding could provide short-term support for mental-health staff and supplemental services but noted hiring delays and uncertainty about sustaining positions beyond the grant year. The board also discussed operational constraints: some positions (for example, contracted or law-enforcement security) might not be eligible under the funding rules.

The board acted by roll-call vote; the motion carried with multiple Yes votes and Mister Bailey recording No. The resolution also authorizes the superintendent to rescind the district's request if the litigation outcome or statutory language warrants doing so; administration said the district would aim to avoid last-minute action and preferred a decision earlier than Dec. 30 if feasible.

Next steps: administration will track the litigation and the statute's status, and—if accepted—staff will determine how the one-year funding would be used and communicate staffing and contract implications to the board.