School Board meets for 4+ hours for June 8 session

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education held a marathon meeting on Monday, June 8, beginning with a party for retiring employees at 5:45 p.m., followed three more hours in regular session, until 9:45 p.m. Then, they went into closed-door session.
About 35 minutes of that was a budget session presented by finance director Priya Nayak, detailing, with accompanying slides, the final budget amendments for the 2025-26 school year and then the proposed budget for 2026-27.
This was all for information only, with the public hearing and action on the budgets set for the June 22 meeting.
She said for the school year just concluding there was $78.3 million general fund revenue and $80.6 million in expenses, about $2 million more expenditures than revenue. That leaves $5.1 million in the fund balance.
She pointed out that the Community Education Fund is a brand-new fund for 2025-26 and that it came out under budget, which was good.
For the new budget, the assumptions are there will be 4,095 students, down from 4,215 last year. State money per student is $10,200. Staff is 570.
In the proposed budget, revenue is $69.5 million and expenses $70,445,107, about $1 million over. Fund balance is expected to be $6.5 million at the end of the year.
She said the Community Education Fund will have tuition preschool during the next school year which will boost its budget.
She said she will give the same presentation at the June 22 meeting during the public hearing.
In other business at the long meeting, the board:
• Honored spring sports teams and coaches. Track team coaches Stan Edwards, Bailey Edwards and Carolyn Edwards of Van Buren Township were present with several players. This year there were 100 students total in track;
• Heard more than an hour’s worth of building presentations concerning Belleville High School, McBride Middle School, Owen Intermediate, and Tyler Elementary;
• Approved the resignation of bus aide Richard Cetnarowski, Sr. as of May 29 after seven years of service and the hiring of custodians Marlon Williams as of June 1 and Jackie Bennett as of June 8;
• Approved the resignations of the following teachers/administrators as of June 12: Kelly Paton of Owen, after less than a year; Brooke Copley of Savage, speech pathology, after three years; Patrick White of Owen, AP, after two years; Casie Clouse of McBride, speech pathologist, after two years; and BHS teachers Kori Buford, after four and a half years, Helena Solano after one year, Iansa Melo-Ferreira after a year and a half, and Gwynn Bell after one year;
• Approved the non-renewal of the teaching contract of Brooklin Hardiman, a probationary teacher who has not attained tenure status, effective June 12, pursuant to the Michigan Teachers’ Tenure Act, MCL 38.83. John Leroy, director of human relations, said this action is required by the state if the probationary teacher less than effective in the first four years;
• Approved the BHS Marching Band Summer Camp field trip to Tamarack Camp in Ortonville Aug. 17-21;
• Approved the 2027 Eighth Grade Washington, D.C. field trip, May 12-15, 2027 by motorcoach. Cost to student is $943;
• Approved the agreement for Belleville High School and McBride Middle School continue to be members of the Michigan High School Athletic Association for the 2026-27 school year;
• Approved the Special Education Contractual Agreement with Stepping Stones Group for the 2026-27 school year. Julien Frazier, director of student services, said the state requires 60 students or less per caseload and the district needs speech and language pathologists. Cost is from $83.50 to $105 per hour, depending on the specialty;
• Approved the ProCare contact for physical therapist to service eight students next year;
• Approved renewal of a cooperative agreement with the Livonia Public Schools to allow transition age students (18-26 year olds) with IEPs to attend the Livonia Transition Program. Cost is $8,400 per student attending the program for up to ten students. Four students are expected this year;
• Approved renewing the contract with Chartwells as the Food Service Management Company for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with the option to renew annually for one additional year. This is the third year of the contract;
• Heard director Leroy announce the district has reached tentative agreement with VBEST and a tentative-tentative agreement with the Secretary group;
• Heard board member Wade Fields say the Robotic program is having a raffle at tigerrobotics.net, cosmic bowling fund raiser is Aug. 1 and they are planning a Lake Fest event;
• Heard board president Amy Pearce say she was heartbroken to miss the graduation ceremony when she was called to Portugal for a family emergency. She said she was glad the event was recorded so she could watch it;
• Went into closed-door session to consider a letter from its attorney, as the letter is exempt from disclosure under state law under attorney-client privilege. Then the board went into regular session to consider reversing a denial appeal for a Freedom of Information Act request. The board voted 5-0 to authorize FOIA coordinator Debbie McWilliams to issue written notice of denial of the FOIA appeal. The meeting ended at 10:04 p.m.
Absent from the meeting were secretary Darlene Loyer Gerick and trustee Victor DeLibera. Trustee David Shall was appointed secretary of record.