Berkley school board appoints former trustee Mary Jo Israel; two finalists return Oct. 26 for second seat

The Berkley Board of Education filled one of its two open seats Monday night, Oct. 19, and narrowed the field for the other to two Huntington Woods residents, according to a district news release posted Tuesday.

The two-month seat

The board voted unanimously to appoint Mary Jo Israel of Huntington Woods to the seat that runs through Dec. 31, 2026, the district said.

Israel is a former trustee. She served on the board from 2008 to 2020, and her three children went to Berkley schools, according to the release.

The district said 11 people applied for that seat. Five withdrew, leaving six candidates.

Board President Keith Logsdon said in the release that the board is "pleased to welcome Mary Jo back."

The 26-month seat

The longer term runs through Dec. 31, 2028. The district said 13 people applied and four withdrew, leaving nine.

The board interviewed five of them Monday and picked two finalists, both from Huntington Woods:

• Maximilian Shear
• Daniil Gunitskiy

Both are invited back for another interview at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26. The board expects to appoint one of them after those interviews, according to the district.

The district's release did not say how the five interviewees were chosen or name the other applicants.

Why the seats are open

Board President Michael Tripp and Vice President Sarah Mountain both resigned Oct. 1. Tripp cited personal reasons, C&G Newspapers reported. Mountain told C&G she resigned after Tripp and Superintendent Scott Francis told her it was inappropriate for a board member to contact staff directly. She had asked an elementary principal for records about the bullying of her child. Earlier coverage of the resignations.

At its Oct. 5 study session, the board picked new officers to serve until its January 2027 organizational meeting: Logsdon as president, Barrie Frankel as vice president, Jon Heger as secretary and Jason Deneau as treasurer, according to the district.

Appointees' first board meeting is Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the election. Katie Chittick and Gregory Sollish are the remaining Berkley board candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot, C&G reported.

The district covers Berkley, Huntington Woods, northern Oak Park and a small part of Royal Oak. Our story on the application process.

Sources: Berkley School District news releases "Board Selects New Member, Invites Two Back for Final Interviews" (Oct. 20, 2026) and "How to Apply for Board of Education Vacancies" (Oct. 9, 2026); Berkley School District Board of Education web page; C&G Newspapers (Oct. 6, 2026).