Haggerty playground equipment moved to Owen Intermediate

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
The playground equipment at Haggerty School is being moved to Owen Intermediate School this week and should be in place by Friday.
Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Michael Van Tassel announced this at the end of Monday’s regular school board meeting.
He said a survey was taken of students at Owen from Sept. 15-19 and a special school committee met on Sept. 22 to go over the results. It was a unanimous decision to relocate the existing play equipment at Haggerty to Owen.
“Swing sets were highly requested by the students,” Supt. Van Tassel said of the survey. He said that surprised the committee.
But they found the existing swing sets were not movable and so on Sept. 25, Principal Jeff Moore met with the PTSO and they decided to apply for grants or otherwise raise funds to get $5,000 for two, eight-swing sets.
Van Tassel said they met with Davenport Brothers Construction on Oct. 3 and they were able to get a low cost for moving the equipment. He said they were able to use Sinking Fund dollars to move the equipment.
He said Davenport dug up the equipment and it should all be in place by the end of this week – except for the swing sets.
“I saw Davenport moving it through town,” reported board treasurer Sherry Frazier. “I appreciate the efforts of Mr. Van Tassel and James Williams to get it going,” referring to the superintendent and the director of plant operations.
“It’s good that Mr. Moore surveyed the students so he could get what they wanted,” Van Tassel said.
Last June a group of ten parents with students at Owen approached the school board with research and a request to have recess and play equipment at Owen for their fifth and sixth grade students there.
When school started, a new lunch recess was included, but there was no play equipment and the parents were disappointed and came back to the board. That’s when the special committee, without parents, was set up and the student survey taken.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Was informed that Belleville High School has been designated as a New Tech Demonstration Site where schools interested in finding out about New Tech can visit and get information on the network. New Tech Director Scott Wilsey and 10 members of the New Tech staff were present to talk about New Tech;
• Approved a two-year contract with Marvin Lange, Lange Farms, LLC, of Van Buren Township, to farm the 24 acres where Elwell School used to stand in Sumpter Township, paying $100 per tillable acre at $2,400 per year for 2015 and 2016. Lange grew corn on the property this year and next year said he would probably grow soybeans. This lease is a renewal of the two-year lease he had;
• Approved a contract with Allied Building Service in an amount not to exceed $84,755 from the 2014 Sinking Funds for the Bus Lot Electric Warming Station Replacement Project. There was only one bid on the contract, but it was determined it was a fair bid ($73,700 plus 15% project contingency). Eric Dumont of Plant Moran CRESA told the board this recommendation was not a part of the original three-year Sinking Fund plan, but due to the need for ongoing repairs and safety issues, the decision was made to include this project this year. Dumont said the Sinking Fund had $100,000 left over because of lower bids than expected on other projects. This warming station is for 64 buses to plug in and construction will begin within three weeks or so. Later on they will replace the station for 24 buses;
• Approved adding an Advanced Placement Statistics course at BHS for the 2014-15 school year for 11th and 12th grade students. This course will meet one-year mathematics requirement and a number of students are interested;
• Approved holding the Nov. 10 school board meeting at Owen Intermediate School and the Dec. 8 meeting at Rawsonville Elementary School so the board can see what was done with Sinking Funds at the buildings. Plans are to meet at 6:30 p.m. in order to tour the buildings before the 7 p.m. regular meetings. At the organizational meeting in January, the board can decide how to schedule the meetings at other schools throughout the year;
• Heard a report on the district’s mathematics curriculum – Everyday Math and Carnegie Math — highlighting the progress being made with the increased focus on math over the last two years;
• Approved the Owen Intermediate Camp Storer, Jackson, field trip for Dec. 1-5 for about 225 students, including the sixth grade classes and 11th and 12th grade counselors. Cost to students is $265 each;
• Approved use of a school bus, at the regular rate, for the Boys and Girls Club field trip to Apple Charlie’s Cider Mill and Apple Orchard in New Boston on Oct. 16;
• Approved requested terminations of: Patsy Wood, bus driver, 10 years, for other endeavors; Peggy Morgan, bus driver, 10 years, retired; Carol Wegerbauer, bus driver for two years, other employment; Andrew Monteleone, custodian for eight years, relocation; and Jennifer Yee, cafeteria supervisor for one year, other employment;
• Approved hiring: Jeanne Riley, recalled Edgemont paraprofessional; Angelina Brown, BHS secretary; Jennifer Cornell, Tyler, part-time secretary; Natreece Hollins, Savage, part-time secretary; Kristine Spillman, Rawsonville part-time secretary; Nicole Gehly, Edgemont part-time secretary; Kristina Malava, BHS custodian; and Karen Waller, cafeteria supervisor;
• Approved the requested terminations of teachers: Michelle Conrad-Vlodyka, Haggerty, 13 years, other employment; Khaii Mason, McBride, one year, other employment; Joel Garcis, BHS, one month, resigned; and Mary Larabee, Owen, 11 years, resigned;
• Approved the following new hires: Yolanda Curtis in special services as transition coordinator/job coach; Erin Swenson, districtwide psychologist; LaKisha Washington-Booker, McBride ELA teacher; and the following teachers: Michael Kedroske, McBride; Eyonna Tredway, Rawsonville; Cassidy Taylor, ECDC; Joshua Jetton, BHS; Caterina Delia, ECDC; and Mary Reinhard, BHS;
• Heard Kristy Pagan introduce herself as Democratic candidate for state representative to replace Dian Slavens who is term-limited and a candidate for state senate in another district;
• Heard Jackie Davis, local State Farm agent, promote her company’s safe driving contest to get people to commit to not texting while driving. She asked people to email celebratemydrive.com every day from Oct. 15 to 24 to vote for BHS and they might win $100,000 for the school; and
• Heard Van Tassel say the items on next Monday’s 7 p.m. work/study meeting at the administration building will be: Sinking Fund; bottom 30% of the students; and the final Focus School report on Tyler.