School Board approves financial audit of budgets for 2023-24

During the Oct. 28 regular meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, Laura Payne of Taylor & Morgan CPAs and Business Advisors presented the financial audit of the district’s budgets for the 2023-24 school year.
Then, the board unanimously approved the report.
In her 20-minute report, she said the district received an “unmodified opinion,” the highest level available.
Payne said the fund balance for the general fund at the end of the year was $13.3 million, which is 18.16% of the full budget. Total revenue was $91,682,440.
Payne said the athletic budget was more than $918,000 and just $160,000 was raised by the athletic department, but she said the money raised can’t support the department.
At the end of the meeting, after Payne had left, School Supt. Pete Kudlak noted how Payne had announced the auditors had been treated very well by the district officials, who happily presented whatever they needed for the audit without complaint.
He said he has learned that sometimes auditors are treated badly by the groups they are auditing and he is happy that she noted that was not the case here in the Van Buren district.
Board vice-chairperson Susan Featheringill, a former school district financial officer, said districts sometimes forget that the auditor is working for them and auditors present them with important information for the functioning of their districts.
Supt. Kudlak said auditors may find things can be done more efficiently or in a better way and that helps the district improve.
In other business at the Oct. 28 meeting, the board:
• Was introduced to the new assistant principal for Owen Intermediate School Patrick White, who will come to work on Nov. 18. He is from the Ann Arbor schools and has great experience, board members were told. The interim assistant principal will stay in place for a while after White arrives, to help him get acclimated.
• Heard Early Childhood Center principal Becky Ross and her team of Cassidy Taylor and Taylor Pritchett present a report on one of their school-improvement initiatives. They presented their work with the First Robotics Lego grant they received through RESA, which included Family Engagement and a kit to take home and Project-Based Learning. She said the center is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to serve the community;
• Heard Savage Elementary School principal Chris Walker and her team discuss the new math program being taught. She said they have 344 students and 15 teachers at Savage, among other substitute teachers and helpers;
• Approved hiring Dana Davison as a Belleville High School English teacher as of Oct. 23; Patrick White as assistant principal at Owen Intermediate School as of Nov. 18; Karen LaFave as counselor at McBride Middle School as of Oct. 21; and Megan Bowman as second-grade teacher at Savage Elementary, as of Nov. 18;
• Approved the non-instructional staff retirement of Jackie Floro from Owen Intermediate School as of Nov. 1, after 24 years of service; and the resignations of Leigh Ann Sanders from the Early Childhood Center on Nov. 1 after one year of service; Anita Fahey from Buildings and Grounds on Oct. 17 after less than a year of service; Sarah Tompkins from Special Services as of Oct. 15, after a year of service; and Brenda Chance from Transportation as of Oct. 18 after less than a year of service;
• Approved hiring non-instructional employees Zaria Caver as a paraprofessional at McBride Middle School as of Oct. 11; Heather Gering as a school bus driver as of Oct. 17; Stephen Adams as a bus driver trainee, as of Oct. 21; Stacy Sage and Satinder Kaur as bus aides as of Oct. 25; and Kristin Price as a partime secretary at Savage Elementary School as of Oct. 28;
• Heard student Emma Garcia, a representative of the BHS Student Council, report there is a canned-food drive Nov. 4-15 at the school;
• Heard Human Resources director John Leroy say the 9.6 – 9.7% rise in insurance payments for district employees is far less than other insurance programs are announcing. He said the key is that the district is self-funded;
• Heard Curriculum director Jeff Moore said a new math program is under way at McBride Middle School. He discussed a math grant they are working on from RESA, stressing literacy, and setting up an internship at Holiday Inn. He said the hotel general manager gave them a tour and they found a service dog there. Moore said the general manager said she started at the bottom and worked her way into this position, even though she had dropped out of college;
• Heard Kudlak announce that for the first time since 2006, the district’s population has gone up by a handful of students; and
• Heard board member Kelly Owen thank Jackie Floro, who is retiring after 24 years in service to the district. “I’m going to miss her,” Owen said.