Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, and trustees were recognized as part of School Board Appreciation Month.
Interim Superintendent Lamis Srour took time at the regular meeting to thank trustees for their service to the community.
“Our trustees are true public servants. They are not full-time employees and receive only a small stipend for their immense commitment. They serve because they are dedicated to our community and driven by a sincere desire to give back,” Ms. Srour said.
This year is shaping up to be an especially busy one for trustees. In addition to their regular district oversight, the board is also searching for a new district superintendent and planning for a possible infrastructure bond.
The Dearborn School Board trustees also serve as trustees for Henry Ford College and are spearheading the search there to find a new college president. They are the only school board trustees in the state that also serve as trustees for a local college. This dual responsibility means trustees spend twice the amount of time dedicated to serving the community. They hire and evaluate both the superintendent and the college president and must keep abreast of issues, laws and legislation impacting both preschool to 12th grade students and the college. Trustees also set budgets and overall direction for both institutions, but are not involved in day-to-day operations.
As stewards of Dearborn Public Schools, board trustees are responsible for the third largest school district in Michigan with an enrollment of more than 19,000 students and more than 2,700 employees working in 37 district buildings. The district has an annual regular budget of $452 million.
Trustees received certificates and Dearborn Schools swag from the district as part of Board Appreciation Month.
The Jan. 12 meeting was preceded by the board’s annual reorganizational meeting to select new officers. Jamal Aljahmi was elected president. Nasri Sobh was picked as vice president, and Amer Zahr and Ali K. Bazzi were appointed secretary and treasurer, respectively.
Below is information about the Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education trustees for 2026.
Four trustees have terms expiring this year.
Trustees Adel Mozip and Mary Petlichkoff were elected in 2020 to full six-year terms. Trustee Petlichkoff has served 15 years on the board and is in her third term. Trustee Mozip is serving his first full term after first being appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in 2019.
Trustees Ali K. Bazzi and Nasri Sobh were appointed to the board for the first time in September. Because they were appointed to vacancies, instead of elected, they will hold their seats until the next board elections are certified in November 2026.
Trustee Pat D’Ambrosio is scheduled to serve through December 2028. He has served since December 2020 after initially being elected to a partial-term on the board.
Trustees Jamal Aljahmi and Amer Zahr were both elected to their first term on the board in 2024 and are scheduled to serve through December 2030.
The Dearborn Board of Education, and the hundreds like it across the state, preserve public education, a core of the United States democracy. They ensure that decisions on school programming are made by people elected to represent the community’s values, culture and circumstances. They are citizens whose decisions affect students and build the local community.