VBPS board approves Insulin Litigation Resolution

At the Oct. 14 meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, the board unanimously approved an Insulin Litigation Resolution as presented.
John Leroy, director of human resources, explained that companies across the country are deciding if they want to take part in a nationwide lawsuit against various insulin manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and other defendants accused of artificially inflating insulin prices at the expense of employers and health plan entities.
Board approval was required to take part in this litigation.
He explained the background of insulin and how when it was invented in 1920 the inventor found it so valuable that he didn’t want to patent it and gave the recipe away free. Then his associates convinced him to patent it to keep the recipe intact.
Director Leroy said the lawsuit was recommended by the district’s law firm Thrun who is working with a firm in California to sue three companies. It’s a class-action lawsuit, he said.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said the district is self-insured and the rates go up when medication is expensive. He noted their district has been able to get insulin for its clinic as a reduced rate from a foreign source.
“It’s the right thing to do, even if we don’t get the money,” Supt. Kudlak said of the lawsuit.
Board treasurer Simone Pinter asked how school districts got into this and Leroy said 80% of Eli Liley’s income is from insulin and costs are high.
“Which makes it more egregious,” Supt. Kudlak said.
In other business at the Oct. 14 meeting, the board:
• Heard Rob Kakoczki of Plante Moran Realpoint, give the last quarterly report on the district’s 2019 bond projects and their progress over the last five years. Between the three series of bonds, the sinking fund, and general fund a total of $41,499,592 is being spent. He said the projects will be completed by the end of the year. Projects included construction of the Early Childhood Center; Owen renovations; Tyler, Savage, and McBride renovations; IT upgrades; and BHS band bleachers for the football field;
• Heard building presentations from Edgemont Elementary School Principal Laura Maher and staff members and BHS Principal Nicole Crockett. They were asked to present one of their school improvement initiatives that they will be working on this year and then report in the spring on the initiatives;
• Approved resignations of Joshua Bechtel, a teacher at McBride Middle School for two years, as of Sept. 13; and Jillian Leaym, a teacher at Rawsonville Elementary School for 11 years, as of Oct. 8;
• The employment of Ann Epperson for BHS PT-Resource Room teacher as of Sept. 26; Craig Otter as BHS physical education teacher as of Sept. 30; Kathryn Pollock as teacher at Owen Intermediate School as of Oct. 4; and Rachel Taylor, as social worker at McBride;
• Approved employing the following non-instructional employees: Karen Gladston, BHS Food Service as of Sept. 20; Jacob Snyder, Owen Intermediate Food Service as of Sept. 20; Matthew Watson, bus driver as of Sept. 24; Brenda Morgan, substitute bus aide, as of Sept. 23; Tatyana Hamlet, BHS paraprofessional as of Sept. 25; Mikayla Mitchell, BHS paraprofessional as of Sept. 27; Tonyetta Dickson, bus driver as of Sept. 30; Jessica VanUden, BHS Food Service, as of Sept. 30; Matthew Bateman, Edgemont Elementary paraprofessional as of Sept. 30; and Brianna Baker, Early Childhood Center GSRP paraprofessional as of Sept. 30;
• Heard School Supt. Pete Kudlak give information on the Regional Enhancement Millage which is on the Nov. 5 ballot. He said this is a millage that benefits all the districts in Wayne County and would cost less than 2 mills when renewed. But, a whole county can go out for a millage and divide it up among all the students in 33 RESA districts for the exact same amount. It passes or fails as a county vote. If it fails in this election, there is one more time it could be on the ballot, he said;
• Heard Reg Ion, speaking from the audience, tell the board that he still hasn’t heard from School Supt. Kudak on the missing contract for the pop machines. He said he has been asking Supt. Kudlak about it for three years and three weeks and the superintendent has not come up with the contract, although he said he would;
• Heard Director Leroy announce that this is insurance season and the self-insurance is doing well and has hit its 1.01 goal. He started to make a statement and then backed up, stating, “We’re actually not making money” but the district is doing well in the self-insurance project;
• Heard Kudlak report on the tri-community meeting put on by the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce that had representatives from Belleville, Van Buren, and Sumpter, and then he mentioned Democratic candidates Debbie Dingell and Reggie Miller. Ion coughed loudly in the audience and called out, “Dale Biniecki is good, too,” naming the Republican candidate against Miller;
• Heard board president Amy Pearce announce that there will be a lot of pregame activity at Friday’s home football game which will celebrate seniors, over 40 before the game and 45 kids at halftime. She said Parker Doty who is just starting his senior year and is in the second year of classes at William B. Ford school, is the first student to be accepted to the work-based program. He goes to classes first and then to Mountain Machine on Rawsonville Road, where he is doing metal fabrication; and
• Heard finance director Priya Nayak announce that the audit has been completed and she is applying for a grant for water dispensers.