School Board names cafetorium for the late ‘Charlie’ Brown

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education on Monday approved a proposal to dedicate the Owen Intermediate School Cafetorium in memory of former head custodian Charles Terry Brown, who died May 27.
Officials at Owen followed school policy for commemoration and naming of school facilities by setting up a committee which recommended the tribute. A survey of Owen staff also found 100% were agreeable. The proposal was given to School Supt. Pete Kudlak who gave it to the board to consider.
On the Owen committee were Principal Melissa Lloyd, Andrew Lindsay, Jennifer Runyan, and Darryl Dubisky.
Lloyd presented the proposal at Monday’s school board meeting, noting “Charlie” Brown served the district for 39 years, 35 of those at South Middle School, which became Owen Intermediate School.
Brown was a student at South Junior High School and Belleville High School before becoming a staff member in the same building in which he went to junior high.
“Charlie Brown was a wise friend, trusted colleague, and a strong leader among his peers,” Lloyd told the board. “Charlie Brown, over time, became part of the identity of the building where he worked, demonstrating the timeless values of commitment, mentorship, pride in work, and loyalty.”
A large group of supporters of the proposal were present in Monday’s audience. His father, retired Sumpter Township Police Chief Clinton Brown, and his mother Amelia Brown were sitting in the front row among other family members.
Lloyd said in early December there will be an intimate gathering to hang the plaque that has been prepared.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Watched Stephanie Mikulski announce more than $25,000 in grants to teachers from the Van Buren Schools Education Foundation. She said the foundation received 76 applications and granted 54 requests from teachers. One of the requests was for calculators at the high school and Mikulski said the foundation turned that over to the district which will be buying the calculators;
• Had no opposition to a proposal to sell advertising for the athletic fields, gymnasium, and the pool, presented by Athletic Director Joseph Brodie. He said the district has been approached by several entities wishing to advertise in the athletic facilities. He said his department studied this extensively and came up with guidelines. It will offset the high cost to maintain an athletic program. He said they will start small at first and have the winter coaches go out and talk to advertisers. Costs proposed were from $100 to $300 a year based on size;
• Approved the Schools of Choice Declaration for the second semester. Human Resources Director Abdul Madyun said there will be limited openings and students are screened. He said for the fall 2016 semester there are 146 overall Schools of Choice students out of 4,700 students. He said there usually are about 20 more Schools of Choice students in the second semester;
• Approved hiring Rebecca Chinn (coming from California) as a BHS counselor as of Oct. 24; Charles Nabring (coming from Oklahoma) as a BHS chemistry teacher as of Oct. 24; and Matthew Murray (coming from Hawaii) as a BHS mathematics teacher as of Nov. 4;
• Approved termination of Mylah Ivory as a social worker at Owen for refusing recall;
• Approved resignation of Kathy Innes of McBride Middle School as of Dec. 1 after 19 years of service;
• Approved hiring of non-instructional employees: Angela Mercer, secretary at Owen; Sequoir Roberts, Terri Landoski, David Walls, and Eric Brooks as bus drivers; Lindsey Myrand and Deborah Cavins as bus aides; and Diana Stupnicki as a paraprofessional at Haggerty. Madyun said with these hires the district no longer has the bus driving problem it had;
• Heard Trustee Sherry Frazier announce that attorneys Collins & Blaha finally submitted its bill for August, $16,700, and now the law firm has been paid over $240,000 by the district; and
• Went into closed-door session to consult with attorneys about the pending litigation Case #14-cv-13466-ACC-DRG (transgender student) and came back into regular session and adjourned without voting a decision. This may be on the Nov. 21 agenda. Scott Russell was in the audience and he asked if he could go into the closed-door session with the board since he was one of those named in the suit from his time as a board member. Board President Brent Mikulski said they would ask the attorney and would follow the attorney’s advice.