School Supt. Kudlak says metal detectors are racist, non-effective

“I will not be the school superintendent that has metal detectors,” School Supt. Pete Kudlak told the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education at Monday’s three-hour meeting.
Board president Amy Pearce supported him with, “I will not be board president.”
Supt. Kudlak said it is a racist practice and gives a false sense of security.
His comments were part of his presentation on the Safety Measures Survey he took following the March 7 arrest of a student with a loaded gun on school property, with additional comments including the April 21 issue of another student with a loaded gun on school property.
He said neither incident was a school-related issue and the students, both from Ypsilanti Township, were afraid of their communities.
He said both guns were recovered without incident, but it is not acceptable for this to happen and students need a safe environment to learn.
He said the school held parent meetings on the day of the first incident, March 7, to which more than 100 came, and the day after the most recent incident, April 22, to which about 50 came. He said at the first meeting, parents were calling to increase preventative safety measures, including metal detectors, clear backpacks, use of lockers, and increased school resource officers.
He said he sent out 5,000 surveys and there were 425 responses to the survey from March 21-28 and the questions were worded to check interest in pursuing the ideas that came from the parent meeting. He stressed all this data was collected prior to the second gun incident.
The responses showed the most interest was in increased school resource officers and metal detectors, with less interest in clear backpacks and forced locker use.
“I’m not interested in metal detectors,” Kudlak said, giving his reasons as: they are not effective, they create a negative learning environment, it swaps treating students with dignity/respect for a false sense of security (adding studies don’t agree that students actually feel safer) and it is a racist practice across the country.
He said he is totally in favor of adding another resource officer, making two total, and Van Buren Township had been contacted about this before the second incident happened. He said they are working on a grant that could be in place by the fall for a second school resource officer.
Kudlak said the district needs to do more community policing work in the lunchrooms, all buildings, and some programming.
He said the district already has been working on other plans, including adding video cameras in the BHS parking lots, moving students out of BHS who need other than a traditional high school, and planning emergency scenarios.
Board member Dionne Falconer said she would be in favor of security or staff members watching students come in each morning. “I don’t want metal detectors,” she said, explaining she was the mother of two black sons.
Board treasurer Simone Pinter said every school shooting had the student going home and getting an arsenal and then coming back. “I don’t want to say later that we should’ve. It’s a shame two ruined it for 5,000,” Pinter said.
Kudlak said the idea of metal detectors in the full entry way, is “one is too many.”
He said random wanding of classrooms has been suggested, four or five at a time, done by a resource officer and a couple of security guards, checking kids and backpacks, and then going on to the next room. This possibly could be started before the end of the year. He said he spent the day looking at wands.
Board president Pearce said the wanding has to be completely random. The school attorneys have been consulted.
Human Resources Director Abdul Madyun said if they have suspicion, they can do it.
“This is a reflection of what’s going on in our community,” Director Madyun said. “This gun issue is a problem here as it is around the country.”
Madyun said Kudlak is trying hard to do this and nothing is as simple as it seems. There are many ways to get into the building, he said.
“If someone wants to hurt someone else, they’ll figure out how to do it,” Pearce said. She said at the Los Angeles airport they had no problem shooting the TSA. “The thought of people lined up at the metal detector … No,” she said.
She said social media has carried comments about these students being here because of Schools of Choice, but these two live within the school district. She said the comments that we are bringing kids from Detroit isn’t true.
Pearce said the two students come from Ypsilanti Township and they are scared to get off the bus and walk home safely. She said she wants Ypsilanti Township police to come to the board meeting and tell them what they know and what they’re doing about this.
Kudlak said the only way to deny a student entry under School of Choice is a suspension in the last two years or if they ever were expelled.
“In this district, it’s not the School of Choice kids that are the problem,” Kudlak emphasized.
Pinter suggested a community group could be formed to watch these kids come home so they feel safe to get on the bus the next day.
Pinter said every student shooting up schools was from a middle-class, affluent neighborhood.
Kudlak said he doesn’t like the wand, either, but it helps deter. He said they are meeting with an expert in this area on April 27 to find out what works in other places.
“School safety has to be an ongoing discussion,” Kudlak said.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Approved the NJROTC (Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) Fort Custer, MI, Field Trip on May 10-13 that will include from 40 to 60 students in grades 9-12. GySgt. Mathew Barr said Belleville will be joined by River Rouge JROTC to maintain morale, improve recruitment, and to provide hands-on training. This exercise will focus on leadership, land navigation, teamwork, and esprit de corps;
• Approved Band Camp for Aug. 22-26 at Tamarack Camp, Ortonville, where the marching band will learn how to march and play the music. There are 225 students involved in grades 9-12 and students pay their own way. Music students at McBride Middle School and Keystone Charter Academy are potentially able to attend if they pass the auditions;
• Approved additional HVAC controls replacement at Owen Intermediate school during work this summer at a cost of $175,000 from the 2019 bond fund;
• Approved the stormwater management plan resolution required by the state;
• Approved the purchase of 450 staff Chromebooks for the total amount of $183,150 from the 2022-23 Enhancement Millage funding;
• Approved the purchase of 800 student Chromebrooks for the total amount of $245,896 from the 2022-23 Enhancement Millage funding;
• Approved accepting the bid of $152,357 from Sentinel to cover the costs of replacing the aging core networking equipment at Owen and the four elementary schools. Erate funding will cover about 80% of the project;
• Heard a lengthy presentation by McBride Principal John Leroy, explaining standards-based grading practices at his school, with scores for no evidence of learning (0) to proficient (3) and mastered (4). When the students go to the high school they will go back to the letter grades;
• Approved the retirements of teachers: Pamela O’Neill of McBride Middle School as of June 28 after 18 years of service; Deborah Johnson of Owen Intermediate School as of June 30, after 18 years; Carole Leake of Tyler Elementary as of June 30 after 31 years; and Charlene Korpics of McBride as of June 30 after 32 years;
• Approved the resignations of teachers Tisha Love of Rawsonville as of June 10 after 1.5 years of service and Laura Fleming of Owen as of June 10 after three years;
• Approved hiring Sarah Brousley-Crane as a social worker at Belleville High School as of May 2;
• Approved the retirements of non-instructional staff: Jill Sigal-Schroeder of Transportation as of May 20 after five years of service; and Sherry Zunk of Buildings and Grounds as of June 30 after 28 years of service;
• Approved the resignations of Ryan Tefertiller of Buildings and Grounds as of March 11 after two years of service; Gregory Graham of Transportation as of March 25 after three years of service; and Rachel Meyer of Special Services as of April 18 after less than a year of service; and
• Approved non-instructional employees for employment: Amanda Kolawole of ECC/Edgemont as a paraprofessional starting March 21; Christopher Pinder as a custodian under Buildings and Grounds as of March 22; and DeVontae Crimes as a bus driver in the Transportation Department.