Masks optional for VBPS students at Aug. 30 return

Masks for students will be optional when they return to school Aug. 30 in the Van Buren Public Schools.
At Monday’s school board meeting, School Supt. Pete Kudlak said he had announced to parents last Friday that masks will be optional for students regardless of their vaccination status, but faculty will wear masks if they are not vaccinated or if they wish to wear masks.
He said bus drivers and everyone on the school buses have to wear masks under federal law.
Supt. Kudlak said if the coronavirus breaks out in a school, masks could be mandated for a short time.
He said federal and state health experts have not mandated masks for schools.
“Families have to make the decisions on what’s best for their kids,” said board president Amy Pearce.
The district is offering in-person learning, but students could take up virtual learning through a company not using district teachers. Supt. Kudlak said district teachers are mentoring these students to make sure they are doing well.
President Pearce said the Belleville High School Marching Band is having band camp here at home. She said it is nice at the end of the day that the students can come home and shower. She said half of the band — the freshmen and sophomores — have never marched before because of COVID.
Pearce said she was at the school earlier that day because of the band camp and it was good to see students at the pool and soccer field. She said they are starting to get the energy back at the school and that’s great to see.
In other business at the in-person Aug. 9 meeting, the board:
• Approved paying a total of $188,819.88 for three-year district licenses for GoGuardian and PearDeck, as recommended by Sean Garland, district IT/Network administrator. Implementation, support and training for both products is included. The total includes a 10% discount on each when purchased as a bundle. Enhancement Millage funding will be used and payment will be spread out in three annual installments. Instructional coaches will be trained who will go to the buildings to train the teachers. GoGuardian Teacher can monitor what websites or apps students are using on their devices in the classroom and shut them off if not appropriate. GoGuardian Beacon identifies students who are at risk to harm themselves or others through threats, violence, and bullying. GoGuardian DNS and Admin has content filtering and monitoring of internet usage. PearDeck allows teachers to add interactive elements into lessons;
• Approved termination of the following teachers who have accepted jobs elsewhere: Tylor Carroll of Savage Elementary with zero years of service as of Aug. 1; Kelly Watson of Owen Intermediate, with zero years of service, as of Aug. 1; and Dion Holmes of Belleville High School, with eight years of service;
• Accepted the retirement of Kathy Dwornik of Transportation as of July 31, after 33 years of service;
• Accepted hiring the following non-instructional employees for the 2021-22 school year: Janine Alexander and Nancy Merrihew as bus drivers; Jacqueline Steele, Brenda Clark, and Marcia Jones as bus aides; William McMichael as a SEL Interventionist at Rawsonville Elementary; and Audrey Rappe as a paraprofessional at McBride Middle School;
• Heard resident Reg Ion, who introduced himself as a retired, 24-year custodial employee in the district, say people are asking if the district will have open swim for the community like they used to have and the track also used to be open for public use. Kudlak said they did have a club that swam in the pool. Ion said he knows it can work because it did in the past. He said no one is going to vote for school district projects if they don’t let the public use the facilities. Ion also said he asked for the flag pole at the vocational building that was being razed and was told the district might have a plan for it and it is still up. He said poles at Elwell, Rawsonville, and BHS were just plowed over and destroyed when those buildings were torn down. Kudlak said before he came they did have the track open for public use, but people partied out there and used a grill on the football field and damaged the turf, so track use was discontinued;
• Heard Director of Instruction Jeff Moore say this is a busy season for his department. An administrators’ retreat is scheduled next week and the teachers’ academy is Aug. 24. He said there are 25 new teachers this year and he has a couple more positions to fill;
• Heard Finance Director Sara Cortese report that the annual audit is coming in two weeks. She said parents need to apply for places on the bus route that they are finalizing or there won’t be places for their children;
• Heard Director of Special Services Karen Johnston say they went to the Farmers’ Market to seek out employees. They still are working to get the people they need for the school year, especially paraprofessionals; and
• Heard Kudlak report that they met with the architect at McBride Middle School where they are building a health clinic for all district employees and their families. It will be open 32 hours a week and since the district is self-insured, it will save the district 52% if employees use the free clinic rather than their own doctors. It will have a private entrance and prescriptions can be written and filled there. They are shooting for a Jan. 1 opening.