The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education is accepting applications to fill two vacant board positions after Trustees Hussein Berry and Irene Watts submitted their resignations. This January 2025 board photo shows Board President Adel Mozip (left) and Trustees Mary Petlichkoff, Hussein Berry, Pat D’Ambrosio, Irene Watts, Amer Zahr, and Jamal Aljahmi.
DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education is looking to fill two open seats.
Trustee Hussein Berry announced at the Aug. 18 board meeting on that he would be resigning his position later that night. He said he had planned to resign later, but wanted to save the remaining board the work of looking for a replacement twice.
Berry already has announced he is running for state Senate in 2026. He served on the school board for almost 15 years.
Last week, Trustee Irene Watts resigned from the board because she is moving out of the district.
The board has 30 days from the time a board member resigns to appoint someone to fill the vacant position. Applications opened after Watts resigned and will still be accepted until 4 p.m. Aug. 25.
Whoever is appointed to the two seats will serve until the next school board election is certified in November 2026. More than a dozen people have already applied.
Board applicants must be U.S. citizens and registered voters over the age of 18 living in the DPS District. DPS covers almost all of Dearborn and most of northeast Dearborn Heights.
Those interested in filling the vacancy can apply by completing a Google Form — at dearbornschools.org — and attaching a letter of interest and three references. A resume will need to be emailed to the district. Printed copies of the information may also be submitted in person by taking it to the Administrative Service Center, 18700 Audette St., between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays.
DPS trustees also serve as trustees for Henry Ford College.
The board sets district and college policies and budgets, hires and evaluates the superintendent and college president, approves union contracts and pay scales, and oversees construction and other major building issues. Trustees are not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the schools or college.
Trustees are currently looking for a new president for HFC and discussing the possibility of putting an infrastructure bond for the district on a future ballot. Supt. Glenn Maleyko is interviewing to become Michigan’s state superintendent, so it is possible the board could end up needing to hire a new superintendent as well.
The board generally meets twice a month — once for K-12 and once for the college. Trustees also serve on various committees, which generally meet before the regular board meetings. Special meetings are also called occasionally throughout the year.
Board members are not full-time employees, but do receive an annual pay of $9,940 with the board president receiving an additional $1,000 a year.
Potential applicants are encouraged to learn more about the operations of the board by looking through agendas and presentations on the district’s school board webpage and by watching a board meeting on the district’s YouTube channel.
Trustees will review applications to fill the vacancy and plan to hold interviews for the position. The date or dates for the interviews has not yet been set.