School board considers 43 non-affiliated salary recommendations

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education was presented with a list of 43 employees who are non-affiliated with unions, with proposals for their salary raises.
Non-affiliated are those not covered under a union contract.
This was at the May 28 regular meeting. Board members are to review the salaries and then vote on them at the next school board meeting.
Salaries ranged from the Lunch Moms and Dads at $14 an hour and the ESL Support at $27.50 an hour to the top salary of $133,000 for both Julien Frazier, Director of Student Services, and Priya Nayak, Director of Finance.
Director of Human Resources John Leroy and Director of Instruction Jeff Moore are listed at $127,000 each and Director of Plant Operations James Williams is $127,000. Sean Garland, IT/Network Administrator, is listed as $105,000. All the rest are below the $100,000 mark.
The salaries are to take effect on July 1.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said they looked at other districts and shared their information in order to stay competitive. He said most of the raises are $2,000 to $3,000 higher. He said Sean Garland and his assistant Debra McWilliams got quite a bit more. McWilliams’ salary was raised to $75,000 from about $65,000 base salary.
Garland went from just over $87,000 to $105,000 base wage.
In other business at the two-hour meeting, the board:
• Heard a presentation on a Teacher Cadet Program aimed at encouraging students to be teachers by Jessica Romak, Belleville High School teacher. The state has grants for Michigan’s Grow Your Own Initiative and this is year one for Van Buren. Originally there were 15 enrolled and they ended with 11. For the 2024-25 school year, 22 are signed up and they can take up to 24;
• Recognized the Robotics Team which went to the international competition in Houston, TX. The team gave a demonstration for those present;
• Heard presentations from the principals and staff of Owen Intermediate, Savage Elementary, and McBride Middle schools;
• Approved the Wayne RESA total budget across all funds of more than $745 million for the new school year. Of this, $587 million is directly distributed to schools;
• Approved the purchase of 850 Chromebooks for students in the fifth and ninth grades from Sehi Computing for the total amount of $262,395 from the 2024-25 sinking funds. The purchase was discussed in detail at the last meeting The Chromebooks will be assigned to the student from fifth through eighth grade or from ninth grade to 12th grade and they carry them for four years;
• Accepted the resignation of Calista Dean from Tyler Elementary after less than a year of service as of June 7;
• Approved the resignations of Amy Marton from transportation after two years of service as of June 7 and Tracy Watson from transportation after less than a year as of May 20;
• Approved the employment of Tiuera Mayes as a paraprofessional at Savage Elementary as of May 20; and
• Learned three principals are retiring: Savage Principal Lisa Preuss, Owen Principal Jason Salhaney, and Tyler Principal Aliesa Pitt. McBride Principal Fred Abel is moving to Tyler. There have been 50 applicants each for the Savage and Owen positions.
Board member Calvin Hawkins and Kelly Owen were absent from the meeting.