School Board votes to put 18-mill renewal on May 3 election ballot

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on Monday to place the renewal of an 18-mill non-Homestead property tax on the May 3 election ballot. This time it will run for 10 years.
Finance Director Shareen Barker said the district would lose $9.6 million a year if the 18 mills wasn’t renewed, about 21% of the budget.
Barker explained that with the inception of Proposal A in 1994, property taxes paid by Michigan homeowners were dramatically reduced and limited future increases. Property is now classified as homestead and non-homestead. Homestead is considered to be a Michigan resident’s home. Business property, rental housing, and vacation homes are considered to be non-homestead property. Property that is not homestead and not qualified agricultural property can be assessed up to an additional 18 mills for local school operating purposes, she said.
She said Van Buren Public Schools voters approved a renewal of the 18-mill non-homestead operating millage on Nov. 8, 2011, which is scheduled to expire with the December 2016 levy. She said the board had the option of either bringing the renewal forward for another five years or for 10 years. She recommended 10 years.
The renewal would generate about $9,634,689 annually, Barker said.
Trustee Sherry Frazier said, “We can’t afford to lose $9.6 million.”
School Supt. Michael Van Tassel said with it being on the May 3 election, if the millage fails, “We could go again.”
There was some discussion about Public Act 269 newly signed by the governor that limits schools, libraries, city governments, and other groups from releasing any kind of information on a ballot question 60 days before an election.
That means they have until March 3 to get information out to the voters, said board president Brent Mikulski.
In other business at the Jan. 11 meeting, the board:
• Held an organizational meeting, reelecting all the board officers: president Mikulski, vice president Martha Toth, secretary Kevin English, and treasurer Kathy Kovach. The board also approved regular and work/study meetings and places for the year, the depository for school funds, and authorized investments by the designated agents: director of finance or the superintendent;
• Received certificates of appreciation from Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) for serving on the board. January was declared School Board Recognition Month;
• Approved the retirement of teacher Teresa Kuehnel from Owen after 23 years of service as of Jan. 15 and the resignation of teacher Robert Taylor from BHS as of Dec. 18 after less than a year of service;
• Approved hiring two custodial / maintenance employees: Jennifer Dalton at Owen Intermediate School and Kastriot Hoxha at BHS, both as of Dec. 7;
• Heard Supt. Van Tassel give his monthly report. First, he turned it over to Jeff Moore, curriculum director, to tell about how Dr. Grant Chandler will be with ELA and math staff all day Friday to work out changes for the second semester. He said it will not be an overhaul, just revisions. Then, Van Tassel said staff, administration, teachers and counselors at the high school helped students deal with the loss of two ninth grade students within three weeks of school;
• Heard Trustee Frazier ask for a moment of silence in honor of the students who passed and to mark the terrible loss to these parents. President Mikulski honored her request and called for the moment of silence;
• Heard Savage Elementary School’s new Principal Amy Gee introduce herself, saying it was unusual for the district to hire a principal that was expecting a baby. She said she started in November, rather than August, and now has five children. She said eight members of her school faculty were there that evening to support her and she had them stand. Principal Gee talked about some of the things they are doing at their school. She talked of the new NWEA folders that each student will have to carry their national test scores home and discuss their scores with their parents. She said she believes this will help students want to do better on the tests;
• Heard Human Resources Director Shonta Langford Green announce that the Student Directory Information/Freedom of Information letters have been mailed home to parents to explain what personal information can and cannot be revealed under a FOIA request; and
• Heard vice president Toth go over a large stack of papers as she outlined the first reading of new board policy updates, changes necessary to comply with the law. Changes included language on what kinds of board member expenses can be reimbursed, spouses can be of the same sex, conflict of interest, weapons, threats, medical leaves of absence, and food that is non-compliant with national guidelines can be sold in the district twice a week.