School Board approves new phone system at cost of $400,780

Sean Garland, IT Network Administrator for the Van Buren Public Schools, told the Board of Education at Monday’s regular meeting that the district’s phone system is back working for now, but if anything else goes wrong, “We have no phones.”
“When the kids come back, we want to be ready for them,” said School Supt. Pete Kudlak.
The board unanimously approved the $400,780 purchase. Absent were president Amy Pierce and secretary Darlene Gerick.
Garland said when the schools recently lost electrical power, the phone system was knocked out. He said the phone system is 15 years old and the lifespan is usually seven to ten years.
He presented a plan to replace the system with a modernized version of the original two-node cluster with Failover and High Availability. He said some additional features have been designed into the system.
He said Sentinel quoted a total cost of $400,780 for the project which includes procuring hardware, configuring all features, and installing the system, programming the phones and placing them on the desks in all the schools.
The purchase will be financed through Cisco Capitol at 0% interest over five years. The district will make annual payments of $80,156 each October. This quote was priced from a pre-bid contract on a State of Michigan agreement.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Heard Rob Kokoczki of Plante Moran Cresa give a quarterly update on the 2019 Design Development on the Series 3 projects, complete renovations of Tyler and Savage elementaries and McBride Middle School. Prices have shot up since plans started in 2018 and so they are working out options for the funds and what to cut out of the original proposals. He said plans are to have all the work done by the end of August 2024;
• Heard James Williams, director of plant operations, give information on the new furniture proposed for McBride, Savage, and Tyler Schools. Total cost is just under $1 million. It will be on the Aug. 28 meeting agenda for a vote. Plans call for the furniture to be installed during winter break;
• Heard Supt. Kudlak explain a solar field project that will benefit school districts. It will be on the Aug. 28 meeting agenda for a vote. MISEC, which has worked since 1997 to secure a lower electricity rate for school districts using a consortium, is moving into renewal energy, with districts able to lock in a rate for solar-powered electricity for 15 years. Some or all of the district’s electricity needs can be provided through this agreement and what Van Buren will do will be decided with the Aug. 28 vote. He said Northstar Clean Energy Company is planning to construct a solar farm on 380 acres in Genessee County starting this fall. It is expected to be in operation by June 2025;
• Approved the retirement of Laurie Kunz, a teacher at Tyler, after 13 years as of Oct. 7; and the resignations of teachers Misty Foster (as of July 31) and Kyle Short (as of Aug. 31), both of Belleville High School and after two years of service each;
• Approved the employment of Kristin Strawsin as art teacher at McBride, Nicole Krings as a fourth-grade teacher at Rawsonville Elementary, and Brandon Underwood as a teacher at Tyler Elementary, all as of Aug. 23;
• Approved the retirements of Jody Ihlenfeldt from Building and Grounds after 28 years of service as of Aug. 1; Tammie Harris, a secretary at BHS, after 19 years of service as of Aug. 2; and David Whitesman, social worker at Edgemont/ECC, after 28 years of service, as of Aug. 8;
• Approved the resignations of non-instructional staff: Markesha Beverly from Transportation after less than a year as of July 19; James Anthony from Transportation after less than a year, as of Aug. 2; Phyllis Manier from Transportation after less than a year, as of Aug. 1; Kimberly Myers from Tyler after 1.5 years as of Aug. 8; and Cora Olivarri from Food Service after less than a year as of Aug. 9;
• Approved employment of non-instructional employees: Dion Satchel, custodian, as of Aug. 7; Anthony Meads, custodian, as of Aug. 14; Susan Gohl Transportation driver trainee, as of Aug. 3; Courtney Morrison, Edgemont social worker, as of Aug. 23; Glen Reid, BHS psychologist, as of Aug. 23; Sydney Tappin, ECC/McBride psychologist, as of Aug. 23; and secretaries Esther Walker at BHS and Ashleigh Testorelli at Tyler, both as of Aug. 14; and
• Went into closed-door session at the end of the meeting to consider a reinstatement request for a disciplined student. After the closed meeting, the board voted in open session to reinstate Student 22-23-011, with conditions.