School Board selects Gerick to fill out term vacated by Frazier

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education unanimously selected Darlene Honie Loyer Gerick to serve out the vacant term of Sherry Frazier, who recently resigned.
Gerick’s term will run through Dec. 31, 2018.
The board received five applications for the seat and interviewed all five on June 6. After the interviews, board members whittled the number of candidates to two and made the final selection at the end of Monday’s regular meeting.
The finalists were Gerick, who came in just behind the winners in the November election, and Lisa Wysocki, a Canton teacher who has never run for the school board. Others interviewed were Victor De Libera, Elizabeth Doemer, and Katerina Tyner.
Board President Keith Johnston began Monday’s discussion on the candidates and said Gerick received 6,900 votes and took the time to run. He said Wysocki is more than qualified and has a solid resume.
Johnston said Gerick spent time and money to run for the position and 6,900 people voted for her.
Secretary Kevin English said the board had sent extra questions to the two finalists and the way she answered the last question was the clincher for him. He said Gerick “outweighed all the evidence in the room.”
“It’s not just the number of voters, but she rose to the top with her answers,” said Trustee Susan Featheringill.
Trustee Featheringill made the motion to appoint Gerick to the position and English seconded the motion. The six board members present voted unanimously to approve the motion.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said Gerick will be sworn in this week and will be able to sit on the board for its next meeting, which is a budget hearing at 6 p.m., Monday, June 19.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Witnessed the Van Buren Education Foundation give $20,000 in grants to teachers for their classrooms: $3,000 to Belleville High School, $1,600 to McBride, $2,900 to Owen, $3,700 to Rawsonville, $2,600 to Edgemont, $1,400 to Haggerty, and $4,800 to Tyler. The grants were given at the end of the school year this time, so teachers can have their new equipment up and running for the first day of school in the fall. There were 80 applications;
• Watched five student members of DECA explain their program and how it is helping them become more confident public speakers and make them eligible for scholarships. Noah Copeland, incoming president, led the group’s presentation. BHS teacher Jason Butka is sponsor;
• Approved purchasing more Chromebooks from CDWG at a price not to exceed $81,600 to be used to begin replacing older, worn-out technology and to move toward one-on-one computing;
• Heard Plant Operations Director James Williams give a report on all the property owned by the district. He was directed to sell the portable units at 414 Sumpter Road, get an appraisal on the warehouse and the Career Tech Center building, and see if anyone is interested in buying the West Willow property. The rest of the properties – those on Denton, Morton Taylor, and Elwell roads — will remain in the ownership of the district because they aren’t costing anything and are an investment;
• Approved purchase of a 2017 Ford Transit 250 MR Van from Atchinson Ford in an amount not to exceed $30,809.64 to replace a van that has been taken out of commission due to wear and safety concerns. The maintenance employees have been utilizing a pick-up truck in lieu of this van, Williams said. He said this has made the work process slow down, as tools can’t be carried and left in the back of the truck due to potential theft. The bid is part of the state consortium pricing. When asked how soon they could get the van, Williams replied, “If you approve it, we’ll have it tomorrow”;
• Approved purchase of $148,320 worth of cafeteria tables from SPD Commercial Interiors for Owen, McBride, Savage, Tyler, and Rawsonville schools. Finance Director Shareen Barker said the district has been directed to pay down its food service fund budget;
• Approved purchase of a walk-in freezer from low bidder of three bids, HPF Services Equipment (a nonprofit part of Great Lakes) for $45,732 out of the food services budget. The bid includes removal of the former freezer;
• Approved renewal of membership in the Michigan High School Athletic Association for the 2017-18 school year for BHS and McBride Middle School;
• Approved renewal of membership in the Michigan Association of School Boards for the 2017-18 school year at a cost of $7,479. Board Secretary Kevin English pointed out that one of the MASB benefits is the SET-SEG insurance pools which resulted in returns of $101,892.11 to the district;
• Approved a resolution adopting a Section 125 Flexible Fringe Benefits Plan for the district employees, effective June 13 and administered by American Fidelity. Barker said this allows employees to contribute to benefits and the IRS requires the resolution to continue the plan;
• Approved the second reading and approval of board policy updates and new policies as presented by Trustee Featheringill, a member of the board policy committee. The updates are recommended by NEOLA to keep up with changes in the laws;
• Approved use of school buses for the Boys & Girls Club this summer, with President Johnston abstaining from the vote because he is on the club’s board of directors. The buses will be leased at the going rate of $35 per hour plus $1 per mile. The trips will be to Comerica Park in Detroit, Skatin’ Station II in Canton, Turtle Cove Water Park at the HCMA park on Savage Road, possibly Adient in Plymouth, and Rolling Hills Water Park in Ypsilanti;
• Heard Virginia Gearns ask if new teachers were getting mentoring because she has heard rumors they aren’t. Human Resources Director Abdul Madyun said it is part of the law now that this must be done. Curriculum Director Jeff Moore said they haven’t done as much this year, but they have plans to improve the mentoring for new teachers;
• Heard Angela Mears ask about the number of teachers that have left the district this year compared to last year. Madyun said fewer teachers are leaving this year than in the past and the HR department knows why. He said he will formally present a report on the four-year trend at the next meeting. Mears suggested a sign be put up to announce “Under New Management” at the district to encourage new teachers. Featheringill added another sign could say, “Safe to Enter.” They referred to recent history under the former superintendent when many teachers left the district;
• Heard Barker announce that they are seeking pizza bids and the school district has a waiver so that it doesn’t have to use only wheat crust for the pizza, as in the past;
• Heard Madyun say they have identified two teachers, two transportation department employees, and one custodian who have perfect attendance and they will be honored. He said the employees have used no sick days or personal days;
• Heard Supt. Kudlak say the recent graduation ceremony was well done and enjoyable. He also said the district honored 12 employees who were retiring with a total of 238 years of service; and
• Went into closed-door session for a personnel evaluation of Supt. Kudlak.