School Board votes 6-1 to OK ‘Return to Learn Plan’

After four hours of discussion on the 50 pages of plans on how to reopen school on Sept. 1, during the coronavirus, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted 6-1 on Aug. 10 to approve the plans.
Board member Calvin Hawkins cast the only no vote on the Return to Learn Plan.
The document is required for school districts to file with the state by Aug. 15 under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order 142.
The board then set a special meeting for 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18, via Zoom unless the governor approves meeting in person. The board wants an update on the safety provisions and to see how many signed up for remote learning by the deadline.
“We need to be able to meet Phase 4 section of this plan to be able to have students in the building,” said School Supt. Pete Kudlak, who presented the plan in great detail over two hours of talking and using the Zoom screen to show highlighted parts of his detailed plan.
“If we cannot meet the safety requirement, we have to delay in-person instruction,” he said. “School starts Sept. 1, but it could be delayed.”
Supt. Kudlak said the governor could decide to change that and she has a press conference later this week.
The meeting began with 26 written questions and comments read from the Zoom audience because the board agenda requires comments from the audience to come before any agenda items are discussed.
Many teachers and parents expressed concerns about being at school in person during the pandemic and wanted to know details of how things would be done.
After about an hour of this, Board President Amy Pearce said this felt out of order for her and she thought Supt. Kudlak should present his plan first and then have questions after the presentation.
She made the motion to delay the questions and comments until after Kudlak’s presentation. Simone Pinter seconded and the board unanimously passed the motion.
After his two-hour presentation later in the agenda, President Pearce said, “I have a real concern that Phase 4 is too aggressive … the timeline to me is unattainable … and we need an honest plan … and we cannot address everything by Sept. 1… Maybe I’m wrong.”
Kudlak said he feels they can “pull this off by Sept. 1.”
Trustee Hawkins said he had concerns and asked if he had symptoms and he was “regular-sick not COVID-sick” what was the procedure. Kudlak said he couldn’t come back for 14 days, the same as for COVID.
President Pearce said there is always a political aspect and, “We can’t make decisions like that.” She said the governor said the decisions lie with the local school boards.
“It’s three weeks out and teachers don’t know if they will be teaching in person or remote,” said board member Kelly Owen.
“They have to be ready for both,” Kudlak said.
Vice President Featheringill said they have to be ready for both if the state goes back to Phase 3.
“It’s possible we get done by Sept. 1,” Kudlak said. “It’s been worked on since March or April.”
“Parents need a back-up plan,” Pinter said.
Pearce said the governor should put the schools in remote learning.
Featheringill pointed out at the moment, about 10:45 p.m., there were 97 questions waiting to be answered and in a normal board meeting, “We would take down the questions and let them know the answers later.”
“Those that got questions answered could eliminate theirs,” Kudlak said. “I don’t want to eliminate them.”
“Some people couldn’t sit through this meeting,” Featheringill said, suggesting they post the answers for them.
Kudlak said the staff comes back Aug. 26 and 27 and they will get specific details.
“You made the commitment to not start until ready,” Pearce said to Kudlak. “I trust you.”
Pearce said if the district is not ready with safety precautions by the Aug. 18 special meeting, they will delay the opening of school.
By the end of Monday’s meeting, there were 108 questions and comments posted on Zoom.
In other business in the four-hour-and-37-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved taking the Career Tech Center property off the real estate market since the warehouse at the back of the property is needed. They had planned to build a warehouse on the St. Anthony property they purchased, but put the Early Childhood Development building there instead. The district has been trying to sell the Sumpter Road property for two years without a serious offer, Kudlak said, adding they may tear down the Career Tech Center building in front and put in grass to make it more presentable;
• Heard a report on the design of the Childhood Development Center, that now has a budget of $13 million. Reports came from Plante Moran Cresa, Granger, and IDS. There will be two areas for student drop-offs, for parents and for buses, separated by the building. There will be 16 classrooms designed for 18 students each, two outside fenced play areas, plus other features. “I can’t wait until we can use collaborative spaces like that again,” Pearce said. The first batch of bids will come back to the board on Sept. 28 and the board will be expected to act on them at the same meeting;
• Approved the tentative agreement with the Van Buren Educational Support Team (VBEST) dated Aug. 3, which gives bus drivers, custodial/maintenance, and paraprofessionals a $1 per hour raise. Also, more money is being offered the more people take cash in lieu of insurance; and the longevity bonus will sunset at expiration in 2021;
• Approved purchase of 200 Chromebooks from SHI at a total cost of $51,790 to expand the Chromebook fleet to prepare for increased remote learning needs and the possibility of district-wide closure;
• Heard Kudlak say the school times will change. He said they started looking at this pre-COVID in order to reduce bus runs to be more cost-effective. He said BHS and Owen would start a half hour earlier than it had and McBride and the elementary schools would start a half-hour later, with Haggerty school remaining the same;
• Accepted the resignation of Kimberly Rhodes, a teacher at Owen, after two years as of Aug. 5 for a job opportunity;
• Approved the recall from layoff of special education teacher Jennifer Bare for Belleville High School as of Aug. 25; and the reassignment of Scott Wilsey from being New Tech Director to teaching science and physics at the high school. Human Resources Director Abdul Madyun gave Wilsey kudos for stepping up and helping the district where he was needed;
• Accepted the resignation of Atemia Holley from the administration building after three years as of Aug. 21 for personal reasons; and the hiring of Alissa Frederick as paraprofessional in the Special Services Department as of Sept. 1; and
• Heard Kudlak say he held a hour-and-a-half Facebook Live session last Wednesday to discuss school reopening plans with parents and plans another session on Wednesday, Aug. 12. He said he is considering making that a Zoom session instead so he can show his documents on the screen.