School Board approves Sinking Fund contracts for $413,350 and $95,000

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved spending $413,350 of Sinking Fund money for mechanical control work at Savage and Tyler schools and another $95,000 to Plante Moran CRESA to help manage the Sinking Fund projects.
At Monday’s meeting, there were many questions on why there was only one bidder – Control Net, LLC – for the mechanical control work and what Plante Moran would do for $95,000. Director of Buildings and Grounds James Williams answered the questions and satisfied the board.
The Savage/Tyler project had been estimated at $220,000 – about $110,000 for each school — but Williams said that had been just for the controls and there was mechanical work that needed to be done, thus the increase.
He said they are trying to standardize their controls at all the schools and three years ago Control Net did McBride, Rawsonville, and Edgemont and now the Savage and Tyler controls will be like the others.
“Only one bidder and you’re satisfied?” asked Trustee Sherry Frazier and Williams said he was.
Control Net will hire subcontractors to do the work, Williams said.
Trustee Susan Featheringill asked about the new contract with Plante Moran CRESA for $95,000 when their last contract was $50,000.
Williams said under the last contract there wasn’t as much work. It is an hourly rate and they bill monthly. The $95,000 for 2017 is a not-to-exceed number and they may not get to that amount.
Plante Moran CRESA goes to construction meetings, prepares calls for proposals, verifies the work, and makes sure it gets completed on time, Williams said.
“I only call them when I need them,” Williams said.
Featheringill pointed out the district has been using them for the last ten years.
In other business at the two-hour meeting on Feb. 13, the board:
• Approved the Van Buren Association of Educational Secretaries’ two-year union agreement that includes a .75% increase in pay for the 2016-17 school year, 1% for the 2017-18 school year, a longevity bonus for secretaries with over five years experience with the district, elimination of the Class III part-time salary schedule, and removal of secretaries that work in Central Office from the bargaining unit. The contract runs July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018. The board had a lot of discussion on removal of some secretaries from the union and the longevity bonus, which Frazier said Van Buren Township found was illegal at the township level. Director of Human Resources Abdul Madyun said the bonus is just for the two-year contract and then it sunsets. The longevity bonus is $650 after five years of service, $900 after 10 years, and $1,100 after 20 years;
• Approved hiring special education paraprofessionals Jessica Hensley for Rawsonville, as of Jan. 25, and Danielle Parker at Haggerty, as of Jan. 30;
• Discussed a proposed Early College Alliance program with Wayne County Community College. WCCC Western Campus President Michael Dotson explained the program that has been under way with Romulus Community Schools and Van Buren is being invited to join in. School Supt. Peter Kudlak said he would like to continue investigating the project which could give students the opportunity to graduate from high school with an associate’s degree at no cost to parents. Dotson said of the 34 students in the present program 33 recently walked across the stage to get their associate degrees. The final student came back and finished and will also be getting a degree, he said;
• Received the board’s five-year goals made by a previous board and requested by board president Keith Johnston. They were to be done by 2018. Kudlak had marked them with colored markers showing green for those done or under way (25%), yellow for those started and red for not started (37.5% each). Johnston asked Kudlak to set up a work/study meeting to study the goals. “You’ve got a lot of red in there,” Frazier said and Kudlak replied, “That is true”;
• Discussed the superintendent’s evaluation which has to be done by June 30 under state law. He was hired last July. Board members seemed in favor of a “skwished” evaluation this spring, followed by another short-term evaluation in December and then a full year the following year. Kudlak and Johnston will set up a schedule for the evaluation; and
• Heard Trustee Simone Pinter complain, at length, about there not being enough positive news on the school district in the newspaper. She said there is too much negative news. She said students do good deeds and no one knows about it. It was suggested the school isn’t sending news to the paper and the school’s reputation would improve if people knew more of what was going on. Frazier said the Plymouth/Canton schools consistently put out stories and the public relations needs to be coordinated, like they do it.