Parent voices concern over safety of political protest at school

Billie Harsch told the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education at Monday’s regular meeting that she has three students in the district and is concerned about political protests being encouraged.
She said, for example, her niece is part of the cast of a play at McBride Middle School and they have been practicing. But one practice was canceled and the cast instead had to make anti-ICE posters.
Harsch said when her niece refused to work on the posters she was given dirty looks and treated rudely.
She said her question was, “Is it OK to get political in school?”
She said the Belleville High School principal sent a note to parents that this Friday at the high school the students are walking out of school to protest ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
Harsch questioned the safety of the students when there were not enough administrators and security to cover the crowd and to make sure the things left inside were secure.
School board president Amy Pearce said they have to talk about what student rights are if a student wants to organize a protest on an issue.
“During the school hours, what are they allowed to do under the First Amendment?” she asked.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said students can protest without ever informing the administration and students have been protesting for centuries. He said with this protest, the administration heard about it and BHS Principal Nicole Crockett talked to the organizers and convinced them it was safer to stay on school property.
He said this is an opportunity to be active in their belief.
Board Trustee Victor DeLibera said, “I agree. We have to allow people to express their ideas.” He asked if students were allowed to leave the school grounds and Kudlak said if they are leaving, “We don’t tackle them at the door.”
President Pearce said there are consequences for missing class and Kudlak agreed.
In other business at the 43-minute meeting on Feb. 9, the board:
• Voted unanimously to add two Aviation courses to the Belleville High School offerings. One already is being taught as a pilot course. Director of Instruction Jill Marvaso said these classes should have been approved at the last meeting, along with the new Drone classes. The Aviation 1 and 2 classes are expected to be for ninth and tenth graders to take in advance of the Drone classes for 11th and 12th graders, but this is not a requirement from the state. Jessica Romack, CTE coordinator, explained the details of the classes;
• Heard trustee DeLibera ask if this had anything to do with the malfunctioning wind tunnel at the school, that he heard is now fixed. He said the engine had been turned the wrong way. Marvaso said it wasn’t for the Aviation classes, but it definitely needs to be fixed;
• Approved hiring Thomas Wagner as a math teacher at Belleville High School and Angelica Forton as a Spanish teacher at BHS, both as of Feb. 23;
• Approved hiring Vanessa Lamar as a paraprofessional at Edgemont Elementary and Alyssa Montgomery as a paraprofessional at BHS, both with starting dates to be determined;
• Heard parent Angela Mears explain that the supporters of the Class of 2026 end-of-school party have been running monthly fund raisers at Hungery Howie’s on Belleville Road. They need a certain number of orders to qualify for a donation and in January they were three short and employees pitched in to order so they could get the $375. The next dine-to-donate is Feb. 18 and 39 orders are needed. She said they also are selling carnations for Valentine’s Day and there is a can and bottle drive from noon to 3 p.m. on Feb. 22. The cans and bottles can be picked up before then in a 25-mile radius, she said;
• Heard secretary Darlene Loyer-Gerick tell of the weekend she spent in Washington, D.C. with board president Pearce, where they took advocacy classes and visited the offices of elected officials on The Hill. She listed some of the classes and said the weekend was well-spent;
• Heard DeLibera say he attended the William D. Ford open house and found people there who will come to the Van Buren district to help support robotics. It was learned about 100 BHS students attend classes at the Ford facility; and
• Heard Pearce tell more about their trip to Washington under Wayne RESA (Regional Education Service Agency), which she called their “caregivers.” She said they heard a good presentation on conflict, which can be good or bad. They also discussed the funding gap with the Individuals with Disabilities Act, where school districts have requirements but do not get the 40% funding required from the federal government. She said she also discussed school vouchers and if Van Buren Schools lost 2% of their students, the district would lose $1 million, meaning more than a dozen teachers would have to be eliminated.