The School Resource Officer program will continue in the Van Buren Public Schools for the rest of this school year.
Belleville Police Cpl. Kris Faull and Van Buren Township Police Officer Ryan Bidwell will continue to provide police services to the high school and other schools in the district, although the future of the SRO service had been in doubt for the past two weeks.
At the Jan. 25 school board meeting, the SRO program was approved to continue only until the Feb. 8 meeting, so there could be an investigation of the costs and services.
At Monday’s meeting, Acting School Supt. Peggy Voigt reported on a Feb. 2 meeting to discuss the issue, which included school board members Bob Binert and Brenda McClanahan; Voigt; Brian Spitsbergen of RACY (Resources for Assisting Community Youth) / Growthworths; Belleville Police Chief Gene Taylor; and Van Buren Township Police Captain Ken Brooks.
After discussion Monday, the school board voted unanimously to pay Van Buren Township the $6,000 it owes for the 2007-08 school year and to pay the $62,000 total due to the City of Belleville and VBT for the 2009-10 school year.
This would be after receiving invoices.
Trustee McClenahan had stressed that paperwork is vital before paying out school money and District Finance Director Nick Armelagos agreed, saying the auditors do not like payments without invoices.
RACY, which had been the fiscal agent for DARE that morphed into the SRO program, will issue a payment of $18,000 to VBT for 2007-08 and $28,000 to Belleville.
Acting Supt. Voigt recommended further discussion take place to develop a written agreement between the City of Belleville, Van Buren Township, and the Van Buren Public Schools that specifies details of the SRO program, including a job description for the SROs and services offered.
Voigt said she and Armelagos are working with federal 31A carryover funds that will cover all the owed SRO expenses for the school district.
The report on the Feb. 2 meeting also recommended any overtime hours worked by the SROs should be billed to the appropriate school department. Athletic events will be billed directly to the Athletic Director and hours worked for other activities will be billed to the organization sponsoring the activity.
Cpl. Faull and Officer Bidwell were in the audience Monday to witness the discussion on the SRO.
In other business Monday, the board:
* Authorized spending $144,920 in design work/specifications for potential alternatives to the high school renovation and expansion project. Paul Wills of Plante Moran CRESA said the bids on the Belleville High School project are expected to come in lower than anticipated because of the economy, so the plans could be expanded, but specifications are needed before bidding next month. The possible alternatives include more bleachers, synthetic turf for the stadium, enclosure of planned cafeteria patio, upgrades in flooring, 881 new auditorium seats, upgrades to stage lighting and curtains, and other theater upgrades;
* Approved a Watershed Permit Resolution on state-mandated regulations on storm water discharge for the new construction in the district, as recommended by Brian Brice, Supervisor of Building & Grounds. Arch Environmental Group has been hired to help with the technical work on the required permit;
* Approved the request of Belleville First United Methodist Church to use up to four wheelchair-acceptable buses on April 25 for the church’s annual dinner and entertainment for area senior citizens who are transported and returned to their residential care facilities;
* Approved the requested termination of Rawsonville school teacher Monika Domke after a half year of service, for other employment;
* Approved recalling from layoff Rebecca Gajda to a teaching job at Elwell Elementary as of Jan. 25 at a salary of $20,647; and Geri Sifton from layoff to a teaching job at ECDC as of Jan. 28 at a salary of $22,136;
* Was informed Lindsay Pawlowski, a teacher at Rawsonville, was recommended for tenure in November;
* Heard Scott Jones announce that the recent Van Buren Schools Educational Foundation spaghetti dinner raised $4,100;
* Learned the school board’s visioning session has been set for March 11;
* Was informed Granger Construction Company will hold a Feb. 16 meeting for local contractors who might like to bid on some of the high school work;
* Approved rescheduling of the work study session from Feb. 15, when school is not in session, to Feb. 11 when it is, so principals will be available to attend. Acting Supt. Voigt said she will be giving a presentation on student achievement; and
* Went into executive session with school district attorney Gary Collins to discuss a written attorney-client opinion.