School Board approves $1.5M in bond money for technology upgrades

At its regular meeting on Nov. 27, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a bid of $677,975 for structured cabling, A/V and security technology systems for McBride, Tyler and Savage schools and another $790,270 for classroom A/V and PA systems for McBride and the four elementary schools.
Rob Kakoczki, consultant from Plante Moran Realpoint (formerly called Plante Moran Cresa), said the majority of the funding comes out of bond money, except for the Edgemont and Rawsonville PA systems. Those projects ended up being too much for the bond so those were moved to be paid for by the sinking fund.
Kakoczki said this basically wraps up the IT bond items for the district.
In other action at the Nov. 27 meeting, the school board:
• Received information on Bond Series III, which will be voted upon at the next meeting. Kakoczki said the bond sale will be in January and they will have cash in hand in February. Work at Savage and Tyler will begin June 7, the last day of school, and at McBride addition of the front office will start on spring break, March 25;
• Received information on bond asbestos abatement at Savage, Tyler, and McBride, with the bids to be acted on at the next meeting. Kakoczki said they opened four bids. Recommended bid totals are $39,000 for Savage, $28,000 for Tyler, and $215,000 for McBride;
• Received information from Director of Plant Operations James Williams on bondwork security cameras at the high school. He said the west side of the building is complete. He said the tennis courts and administration building will take about $60,000;
• Approved the 2024 Summer Tax Resolution which continues the practice of all the school taxes to be collected in the summer taxes for the five municipalities included in the district;
• Approved hiring Faith Miller as a teacher at McBride Middle School as of Nov. 14 and Tishanna Taylor-Dawson as a social worker at Edgemont as of Nov. 13;
• Approved the resignations of Tiera Mayes as a Edgemont paraprofessional as of Nov. 11 after one years of service and Elizabeth Patterson as a Rawsonville paraprofessional as of Nov. 17 after less than a year of service;
• Approved hiring the following non-instructional employees: Taylor Smith as a paraprofessional at the Early Childhood Center as of Oct. 24; Darlene Conner as a bus aide as of Nov. 10; Bryan Wallace as a paraprofessional at Edgemont as of Nov. 27; and Rachel Lemaster as a paraprofessional at Owen as of Nov. 27;
• Heard resident Barbara Miller say that after the last school board meeting, people complained about not being able to hear and said it’s like board members are just talking to each other. Miller said as she walked through the cafeteria she could hear the board members clearly, but when she got to where the meeting was being held, the sound was bad. She was told when they turn up the sound in their meeting area it causes reverberation through the microphones, so it has to be turned down. Miller also said names of the school board members need to be listed on the agenda. She noted the cameras and asked when the meetings are put out to the public and they used to be cablecast live. Supt. Pete Kudlak said they haven’t been live in a long time. He said they hadn’t had a specific time, as the content looped, but now it is 5-7 p.m., Monday through Friday on channel 12. She also said although at the top of the agenda it says the school board meeting is not a public meeting. “It is a public meeting,” she stated;
• Also, heard Miller ask if Haggerty School is to be torn down after the Van Buren Township Senior Center leaves the building, as it is being said on Facebook. Supt. Kudlak said no decision has been made to tear down the school. Miller said the Belleville Area Council for the Arts is looking for a home. Kudlak said they could meet to discuss the subject; and
• Went into closed-door session to conduct Kudlak’s periodic evaluation and to consier security planning to address existing threats or prevent potential threats to the safety of the students and staff. The board reconvened in regular session only to adjourn.