School Board approves 1-year, 1% pay bonus for five unions

The members of five collective bargaining units in the Van Buren Public Schools will get a 1% increase in pay for this school year only.
The total cost to the district is $322,800.76.
The payout will be a lump sum on the last pay in April or May to catch up from July 1, 2014 to April 24, 2015 and then the 1% increase will be on the remaining checks of the school year.
At Monday’s regular meeting the School Board approved four letters of agreement and one new contract ratification that reflected a 1% pay hike for employees.
This is not a raise, since the bargaining units all had salary cuts in the past to help with the district’s budget problems.
The bargaining units and amount the one-time bonus will cost the district are:
• Van Buren Food Service Association, a new bargaining unit whose membership approved the 2014-15 contract on March 19. Cost to district, $4,962.70. Human Resources Director Shonta Langford-Green said they didn’t do a two-year increase “not knowing the financial situation next year.” School Supt. Michael Van Tassell said he is a little concerned about how low the income is in this department and he doesn’t have a good idea of what the income will be next year. Van Tassel also said with the health food required, “Kids aren’t running to buy that food. I hope the kids get used to that and move forward”;
• Van Buren Education Association, $233,965.28 cost to district. Green said the district had better finances than they thought they would for the 2014-15 year. This is in addition to the increase ratified June 3. Trustee Sherry Frasier said the teachers got a 7% salary cut previously and the board is committed to getting them back where they should be;
• Van Buren Educational Support Team, $49,100.57. This is in addition to the increase ratified on Feb. 9 of 1% for this school year and 1% for next school year. Van Tassel said the letter of agreement falls in the union language, implying the board didn’t really have to vote on these bonuses;
• Van Buren Administrators and Supervisors Association, $21,973.62. This will be a lump sum on the last pay in May with the remaining checks of the school year carrying the 1%;
• Van Buren Association of Educational Secretaries, $12,798.59. This is in addition to the increase ratified Aug. 11.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Approved purchasing two, 47-passenger special education buses to replace two buses that are 12 years old. Cost is $157,676 from Hoekstra Transportation. The purchase, for cash, is part of the district’s bus replacement plan put in place in 2012;
• Approved spending up to $657,651.50 of Sinking Fund money to replace the Owen Intermediate School boiler as soon as classes are out for the summer. Bids were awarded to Allied Building Services of Detroit as the mechanical contractor for $562,140; to ETC for abatement design and monitoring, $3,775; and Global Green Service Group for asbestos removal, $22,450. The contractors equal $588,365 and then the 10% contingency is figured;
• Heard Eric Dumont of Plante Moran CRESA say McBride needs to be reevaluated after the May Sinking Fund election. The boiler could be replaced if there is Sinking Fund money to do it. He said, “We don’t want to drop those funds below the emergency line” by doing McBride now, even though it needs it;
• Approved using $67,231.28 in Sinking Funds to replace exterior signage at Edgemont, McBride, and Rawsonvile. Out of five bids, the contract was awarded to Valley City Signs for a bid of $53,461.98, plus 10% contingency and existing sign demolition of $5,000;
• Approved using $13,400 in Sinking Funds to hire Hennessey Engineers to come up with a plan for traffic flow at Rawsonville School. A 20% contingency is included in the $16,080 total, for soil boring and other things. “Hennessey works with Belleville and knows the issues here,” Dumond said. The Hennessey bid was $23,000 lower than the next higher of the five bidders. Dumond said Hennessey doesn’t include working with the road and drain commission because he won’t have to. “We’ve worked with Washtenaw County before and it’s not pretty,” said board vice president Martha Toth;
• Approved leasing the 14 tillable acres on Denton Road between Mott and Geddes in Canton Township to Alfred Block for $125 per acre for 2015, 2016, and 2017, with an option for renewal, in the amount of $1,750 per year for a total of $5,250 for three years. The agreement said the payments of $1,750 will be due on March 1, 2015, 2016 and 2017. James Williams, director of plant operations for the district, said multiple parties were interested in leasing the property, so he required sealed bids and Block was the high bidder;
• Heard a presentation by McBride Middle School Principal John Leroy, Laura Maher and Rod Fisher on programs to increase student achievement;
• Accepted teachers terminating their employment for retirement: Susan Pinter, Savage, 13 years as of June 30; Kim Fairchild, McBride, 31 years as of March 31; Katherine Jones, Owen, 10 years, as of Aug. 20; and Pamela Ray, Savage, 35 years, as of June 30. “Another one bites the dust in the middle of the year,” said Trustee Frazier referring to Fairchild, asking if a permanent sub was put in place. Green said the position was an “interventionist” and the district has it covered;
• Heard Trustee Kelly Owen report that the German, French, and Spanish clubs went to Monaco over spring break and had a great time;
• Heard Supt. Van Tassel explain how he has been promoting information on the Sinking Fund ballot proposal on May 5;
• Was informed that at next Monday’s work/study session, Van Tassel will give an update on the November fire and the insurance and Diane Kullis will give an update on 31A and other title money; and
• Heard Frazier voice her concerns about the phone policy at Belleville High School. She said the students’ phones are very expensive – some $500 to $600 – and the students don’t want to relinquish them to teachers. She said some teachers have a drop box at the door for the phones. She asked for an update on whether phones are allowed. Van Tassel said she would get an update.