School Board approves first step in bond issue ballot question in November

The first step in a plan to put a $35,490,000 bond issue question on the November ballot was approved at Monday’s regular meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said the bond issue will not cost taxpayers any more than what they have been paying, since the bonds to build the high school have been re-financed.
If the bond issue doesn’t pass, voters would get a reduction in their millage from the 2.98 mills they had been paying for the 2009 bonds totaling $79 million to build the new Belleville High School.
The 95-page Preliminary Qualification Application for Bond Recommendation that was passed by the board will go immediately to the board’s attorney at Thrun Law Firm and he will take it to the Treasury Department, which has 30 days to approve or deny, Supt. Kudlak said.
He expected the board to vote to put it on the ballot at its next meeting on July 29.
Board vice president Susan Featheringill said the board did refinancing of the $79 million bonds for the BHS building and so it will be paying less in bond payments. The 2.98 mills taxpayers are paying will not drop and the difference in what is needed will pay for the new bonds.
Supt. Kudlak said the new bond money will pay for major renovations to Tyler and Savage schools, which are 40 years old, and to Owen and McBride, to keep all the buildings going.
“After we officially put it on the ballot, we will set more information sessions,” Kudlak said. “We don’t want to do this until after Treasury approves.”
The sample bonding proposal in the board packet said the new bond money would be used for: “erecting, furnishing, and equipping a new early childhood center; remodeling, furnishing and refurnishing, and equipping and re-equipping existing school buildings; acquiring and installing instructional technology in school buildings; and preparing, developing, improving, and equipping playgrounds, athletic fields, and sites.”
The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2020 is .78 mill ($0.78 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a -0- mills net increase over the prior year’s levy. The maximum number of years of the bonds would be 30 years.
Under state law these bond proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs, teacher, administrator or employee salaries, or other operating expenses.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Approved the proposed $53 million general fund budget for the 2019-20 school year, with the unassigned fund balance expected to be down to $2.967 million (6%) on June 30, 2020. This unassigned fund balance was used to cover $1.67 million in excess expenses over revenue. A public hearing on all the district budgets was held at 6 p.m. before the regular 7 p.m. board meeting. Finance Director Sara Cortese explained the budgets and stated the 2019 millage rates of: General Fund – 18 mills, Debt Service Fund – 2.98 mills, and Sinking Fund — .4911 mills;
• Approved the amended 2018-19 budget of $53.98 million, with $937,704 total expenses over revenue;
• Approved a two-year contract with the Van Buren Association of Education Secretaries, that increases to five the Act of God Days, joins the same insurance plan as the administrators which gives them 30 cent hourly pay raises this year and next, $1,000 bonus for joining this insurance group, the addition of Election Day as the 11th paid holiday, longevity bonuses, and others;
• Learned seven teachers had earned tenure after five years on the job with effective or high ratings during the last two years. The two who attended the meeting were presented with certificates and shook hands with board members. Those receiving tenure were Heather Fischer, Catherine Kaczmar, Heather Palmer, Shandra Pettway, Sarah Stiles, Marcie Taylor, and Cassidy Taylor;
• Approved retirements of three non-instructional staff and one resignation. Retiring are Theresa Bishop after 25 years in transportation; Mary Talaga after 19 years as Edgemont lunch room supervisor, and Barbara Scroi after 22 years as Savage food service cook. Resigning is Christine Underwood after four years as Edgemont lunch room supervisor;
• Welcomed Corea Nimmons the new payroll coordinator at the Administration Building who started June 19;
• Approved the resignation of teacher LaKisha Lacsamana after two years at Owen Intermediate, to relocate;
• Observed a special presentation to school board member Kelly Owen by the Rawsonville Elementary staff to mark all of Owen’s work behind the scenes;
• Approved purchasing new Chromebooks for 7th and 8th grade students at McBride and at BHS for incoming freshmen. The high school students will keep their computers for four years and McBride students will keep theirs for two years and then turn them over to other students who will use them another two years. Total cost is $265,613.68 from the 2019-20 Enhancement Millage Fund;
• Approve a bread bid from Aunt Millie’s for the school year through the Southeast Wayne County Buying Cooperative Group. It was the middle bid, but the cooperative did a taste test and said Aunt Millie’s had the best taste and texture;
• Approved changing the purchasing cooperative for the milk bid because Van Buren had some issues with the vendor that the Southeast Wayne County Buying Cooperative was renewing (Berkshire Dairy). Van Buren chose to join Washtenaw ISD/CoPro+ purchasing group instead and when it went out for bids there was just one bid (Prairie Farms) and that milk bid was approved by the board for milk and dairy products for the school year;
• Approved extending the contract for another year for Marco’s Pizza, which has had the pizza contract since the 2017-18 school year. That year, Marco’s was awarded the bid and the contract could be extended for two years at the same cost. Next year they will have to go out for bids again;
• Approved a Distance Learning Agreement with the Flat Rock Community Schools that will allow VBPS to enroll 30 students at a cost of $2,000 each to take courses by computer for one year and then the agreement will be reviewed. Curriculum Director Jeff Moore said this will support students who have dropped out or are about to drop out. He said students may want an alternative path or may have medical problems or anxiety troubles. He said Flat Rock has 220 students in the program. Kudlak said VBPS want non-traditional students to have a good education “with our names on it.” Moore said they will start it at the high school this fall and pursue a model for the middle school later;
• Heard details of updated board policies recommended by NEOLA concerning rescinding the section on expulsions and suspensions since it is no longer required by the state, modifying crowd funding, school safety and advertising guidelines and other issues for the first reading. The second reading and adoption is expected at the July 29 meeting;
• Approved the second reading of a group of proposed board policies and adopted the policies. They concern closed sessions, drug policy, leave of absence, reproductive health and family planning, school choice options, attendance, and other issues;
• Pulled from the agenda a tentative one-year contract with the Van Buren Educational Support Team (VBEST) union and a recommendation to adopt the 80/20 language of Public Act 152 for a medical benefit plan. The board also unexpectedly voted to go into closed-door session to discuss collective bargaining strategy; and
• Set a special board meeting for 9 a.m. Friday, June 28, at the Administration Building to consider approval of the two items that were removed from the agenda.