Van Dyke Public Schools boss to retire June 30

WARREN — After nine years at the helm of Van Dyke Public Schools, Superintendent Piper Bognar recently announced she is leaving the district effective June 30.

Bognar, who has been in education for 30 years, posted a letter to the district’s website at vdps.com on Feb. 13 announcing her retirement.

She is stepping down at a time in which there have been issues between her and the teacher’s union, known as the Professional Personnel of Van Dyke. The main reason for the friction is because union members say the district breached their contract terms for health care benefits. There are about 138 members in the union, and most of them are teachers.

Union President Valerie Dutton said that in March 2025 the members were notified the district was in a financial deficit. Therefore, the bargaining group negotiated a two-year contract extension through 2027.

“The (school) board is who our contract is with, and central administration negotiates on behalf of the board,” Dutton said. “We have a specific health plan listed in our contract they are supposed to offer. They choose not to offer that plan.”

Dutton said there are three health care plans offered in the contract, and with the exception of a few members, the educators primarily use the Blue Cross Community Blue plan. That plan comes with a $1,000 deductible for a single person and a $2,000 deductible for two people or a family.

“That’s what’s been in our contracts forever and remained in our contracts,” Dutton said.

During the open enrollment period in November 2025, the union found out about the cost increases.

“They essentially doubled,” said Dutton, an art teacher at Lincoln High School. “The premiums went up. The plan they guaranteed, they are not offering. That is the breach of contract.”

The new premiums went into effect in January. The $1,000 deductible went up to a $2,000 deductible. The $2,000 deductible increased to a $4,000 deductible. Also, copays went from $30 to $40 per office visit.

“All three plans would cost our members more. The original plan is not being offered,” Dutton said. “I guess my biggest frustration is we agreed to the contract negotiations. There were so many ways they could not violate our contract, and they chose not to (not violate it). The general membership feels like the school board disregarded our needs as teachers.

“I believe Piper has the best interest of the district at heart. However, when decisions negatively impact staff, financially or otherwise, it affects morale which is not positive for the stability or success of the district,” Dutton said. “I wish her well. I know this is a stressful situation to be a leader in.”

Several teachers spoke out on the matter in anonymous letters at the school board meetings on Nov. 17 and Feb. 9. Since some educators are afraid of retribution if they address the board, other teachers read the letters on their behalf.

 

‘I love it here. This is my passion.’
“Unions are created for the protection of workers,” Bognar said. “We did breach the contract in this case.”

But there was a reason behind it.

“It protected our teachers without making the change to verbiage in the contract. Our employee insurance costs would have increased by 19% otherwise. With the breach of contract, we were able to cut that down to an increase of 3-4%. This small increase is unheard of right now in the insurance market,” Bognar said. “I did it for the good of the community. I saved people money.”

Bognar said that she and representatives from various insurance groups met with leaders from all the district’s five bargaining units in April 2025 to discuss health care coverage for employees. They met five more times over a six-month period to determine the best plans for the district. According to Bognar, nobody from the other unions had issues with the insurance changes, and the district is offering two plans instead of three.

“I spend my time fighting for kids and the good of the district. However, when the leader of the teachers’ union focuses on semantics instead of the common good, it takes me away from things like safety, instruction and community,” Bognar said.

She also said that the district will receive, this school year, a state grant known as 27L. The funding is part of the School Aid Budget and is designed to provide increased compensation amid rising health care costs to school employees. Van Dyke officials will negotiate with all five union groups, and employees will receive approximately $1,100 each.

At the Dec. 15 meeting, Bognar announced her resignation, which is now a retirement.

“This district is an amazing place to work, grow and send your children,” she said. “I’m quick in saying that our staff, whether it be teachers, paraprofessionals, cooks, drivers, technicians, administrators, secretaries or anyone you’d meet are caring professionals and could excel anywhere.”

Bognar first came to the district in 2010 and was a McKinley Elementary School principal, turnaround director, and assistant superintendent of curriculum before becoming superintendent. Prior to Van Dyke, Bognar worked for 14 years in the Taylor School District and for 1 1/2 years in Ferndale Public Schools.

Despite the current tension, she wants to leave on a positive note and plans to stay close to the district in another capacity.

“I love it here. This is my passion,” she said. “Now, I’ll have time to do other things with the community. That’s exciting to me. I don’t plan to not be around.”