School Board OKs $77 million bond proposal for ballot

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on July 28 to place a $77 million, 30-year bond proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said the board needed to officially pass the resolution to put it on the ballot.
The bond language for the ballot lists all the things that could be done with the money and notes that the total amount of qualified bonds currently outstanding is $65,875,000.
The bond proposal advises that under state law the bond proceeds cannot be used for repair or maintenance costs, teacher, administrator or employee salaries, or other operating expenses.
Supt. Kudlak said the proposed bond will add zero amount to the millage the voters are already paying on their school taxes. He said since the 2019 approval for three series of 30-year bonds for $36 million, taxpayers have been paying 2.98 mills. If this new millage is not approved, he said, the amount of the millage would go down slowly as the former bonds are paid off.
In other business at the 32-minute public part of the meeting, the board:
• Approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Van Buren Education Association, generally with 4% raises for union members. The other changes were detailed on the report to the board. Starting salaries for teachers will be $51,600 for the 2025-26 school year and $54,100 in the 2027-28 school year. Top salary for the 2025-26 school year is $98,500 and that top salary goes up to $107,500 in 2027-28. Human Resources director John Leroy said they checked with other districts to keep the local pay competitive. They started negotiating in January or February and closed up July 1. VBEA president Aaron Lange said the negotiations were a dialogue rather than demands. He said the union members passed the agreement by 93 to 94%;
• Heard resident Reg Ion say, under public comment, that he is against the bond. He said the board always settles a contract and then asks for voters to pass a bond. He said he recalled when the board wanted $150 million to build a school on Van Born Road, then $110 million for it to be on Hull Road. The high school finally was built for $48 million. He said he has been in the community for 50 years and worked for the school district for 30 of those years. He said all the school districts do this: ask for big numbers for dream things. He said he and other senior citizens have to pay an astronomical amount of money for school taxes and he objects, especially when he doesn’t like the way they are being run;
• Heard Curt Harrison say he is the president of the union that represents parapros, mechanics, building and grounds, and others, and “all of us are here for the students, not to argue.” He said they need to find out what the needs are for the students;
• Approved the termination of the employment of Alyson Barr, a Belleville High School teacher with less than one year of service, as of Aug. 31;
• Approved hiring the following 16 teachers as of Aug. 27: Rebeca Lazarean as BHS assistant principal for ninth grade; Drake Burney as BHS ninth grade dean of students; Christina Gonzalez and Nina Abbott-Burton as BHS counselors; Brent Coeling and Deborah Perry, as BHS resource room teachers; Irial Puente, Jolie Ballard, Kaylen Dutt, Danielle Duda-Buckshaw, Allison Weyand, all at Owen; Matthew Petersen at McBride; Adrienne Quinn at Savage; Quanish Shawanibin at Rawsonville; and Ashley Bishop and Jennifer Wampler at Tyler;
• Approved resignations of Joumana Kadri from administration after three years as of July 23 and Madison Waldroop from special services;
• Approved hiring Tessica House as a school bus driver as of July 7 and Kierra Bell as a driver as of July 15; Joumana Kadri as administrative assistant as of July 24; Wesley Ronquillo as food service worker at McBride; and Kamari Delfine at Early Childhood Center as a toddler teacher as of Aug. 27;
• Heard Kudlack say there will be an active shooter drill at McBride Middle School on Aug. 14 put on by police;
• Heard secretary Darlene Loyer-Gerick say the All-Alumni event this year will be a tailgate Sept. 12 at the high school cafeteria and the food will be free because of generous donors. She said 30 have already signed up and others can sign up on the district website;
• Learned band camp will have 188 participants Aug. 18-22; and
• Went into closed-door session to work on a mid-year evaluation of the superintendent that is now mandated by the state, which has new rules.