Amy Wilcox
By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published March 17, 2026
HAZEL PARK — At its March 16 meeting, the Hazel Park Public Schools Board of Education voted 4-3 to buy out the contract of Superintendent Amy Wilcox.
The move was roundly criticized by residents as wasting money better spent on students, staff, buildings and programs.
Critics claim that a contract buyout could total around $1 million, although at press time, the board had not committed to any figure, and the board was still awaiting a decision by Wilcox by the end of the month.
Voting in favor of the buyout were Beverly Hinton, Deborah Laframboise, Heidi Fortress and Darrin Fox. Voting against the buyout were April Beaton, Nathan Becker and Monica Rattee.
The morning after the meeting, Hinton, the board president, was asked for the majority’s reason for the buyout, and any plans to replace Wilcox. She declined to comment.
“I wish I could tell you more about this situation, but I really can’t say much at this point,” Hinton said.
The concerns about the buyout were first outlined in a March 12 open letter by Chris Pratt, a union leader with the Michigan Education Association. Pratt’s letter urged the Hazel Park Public Schools Board of Education to reject any effort to buy out the superintendent’s contract, describing such a move as “financially irresponsible and damaging to the district’s stability.”
Pratt said that the district has repeatedly claimed a financial inability to provide meaningful wage increases or benefits improvements for employees, and that a potential $1 million buyout would undercut this claim amid ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.
“Our members have been told there simply isn’t enough money to invest in the educators and staff who work directly with Hazel Park students every day,” read a joint statement by union leaders for the district. “It would be indefensible for the district to claim poverty at the bargaining table while simultaneously spending over $1 million to buy out a contract.”
The letter also raised concerns about potential violations of Michigan’s Open Meetings Act and urged the board to ensure all decisions impacting the district are made openly in compliance with state law.
The recent buyout follows another costly episode for the district. In early 2025, the board placed Wilcox on administrative leave during an investigation that cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars but ultimately found no wrongdoing by the superintendent. In the interim, the district experienced personnel disruptions, curriculum implementation issues and costly settlements diverting resources away from classrooms, Pratt said.
“Our students and staff cannot afford another period of instability,” the joint statement read. “Hazel Park Schools should be focused on strengthening instruction, supporting staff, and ensuring the resources reach the classrooms where they make the greatest difference for students.”
During the March 16 meeting, members of the community raised their concerns.
“Our district is struggling. We all know it. We feel it every day in our classrooms, in our buildings and our budgets,” said Jen Hall, a staff member and parent in the school district. “We’re cutting programs, stretching staff thin and asking teachers to do more with less. Families feel it, students see it, and we as staff live it. And in the middle of all this, we’re being asked to spend over $1 million — money we don’t have — to buy out the contract of our current superintendent. And then after spending that enormous sum, we’d still need to hire a new superintendent and pay a full salary on top of that.
“Where is that money coming from? This is not responsible use of school funds,” she said. “Every dollar we spend on unnecessary buyouts is a dollar we cannot spend on reading support, mental health services, classroom supplies, building repairs, or competitive salaries that help us retain the wonderful people who actually make a difference in these children’s lives. Our teachers are exhausted; our staff support is stretched thin; every building is short-staffed. … We cannot continue to ask our community to trust us with their tax dollars while making decisions that contradict the realities of our budget.”
Cindy Thomas has been employed as a paraprofessional in the district for four years.
“I work with our adult students with special needs at Jardon teaching them job skills. … I’m also the proud parent of an elementary student in this district,” Thomas said. “I am here because a budget is more than a spreadsheet; it is a statement of values. And right now, the values being signaled to the staff are deeply concerning.
“Every day, I walk into a building in constant need of repair to serve some of our most vulnerable learners,” Thomas said. “We are told the funds for our infrastructure and staff retention are limited, yet we are currently discussing spending over $1 million to buy out a contract. It is impossible to reconcile a $1 million exit with the reality of leaking ceilings, broken locks, broken fixtures, lack of heat and air conditioning, and intercoms and walkie talkies that quit in the middle of crises.
“The lack of investment in people is even clear on our pay scales. In my four years here, I have reached a point where I earn only one dollar less than a coworker who has spent 30 years in this district. That is not a sign of a healthy competitive growth model; it’s a sign that long-term loyalty is being ignored,” Thomas said. “Why is administrative buyout a priority while people fighting for their livelihoods and their students are told to wait?”
When asked for comment the morning after the meeting, Wilcox’s attorney, Heidi Sharp, spoke about her client’s service to the district, noting Wilcox does not control the board’s actions on her contract, which is available online for the public to view.
“Dr. Wilcox has served as superintendent of Hazel Park Schools since 2015 and continues to hold that role with pride and determination on behalf of the district’s staff and students,” Sharp said in her statement. “Last year, an investigation concerning her position revealed no material shortcomings. After more than 100 days on leave, she was returned to her position — an outcome that brought great relief to many within the community.
“Since that time, Dr. Wilcox has continued to fulfill the obligations of her contract and serve the community, with a primary focus on the well-being and success of the district’s students,” Sharp said. “She remains ready and willing to continue fulfilling the terms of her contract.”
April Beaton, a trustee of the board who voted against the buyout, said she is concerned.
“I remain concerned regarding the process leading up to the vote on the buyout, and my opinion remains that such a large sum of money is better spent on our staff, buildings and supplies that will directly benefit the children,” Beaton said.
Call Staff Writer Andy Kozlowski at (586) 498-1046.