School Board OKs $280,516 for food service equipment for BHS

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on Monday to buy $280,516 in new food service equipment from Stafford Smith Inc. for Belleville High School.
Treasurer Simone Pinter was absent from the meeting.
James Williams, director of plant operations, said the district has had a need to improve the food service experience for the students and staff throughout the district regarding service time and food options to increase participation.
He said while the district was looking into food service management companies, it was also looking into improving these areas which requires upgrades to some equipment and reconfiguring some serving lines.
He said the district is focusing on BHS this year and McBride Middle School next year.
The school board previously voted to provide free breakfasts and lunches for all students with federal funds because the district qualified. Later the state decided to pay for all breakfasts and lunches for schools in the state, as well.
There will be signs in the cafeterias that will lead the students to the food without cost, while some of the menu items will need to be purchased.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Voted unanimously to enter into a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement for 100% of the district’s annual electricity usage with NorthStar Clean Energy at a fixed rate not to exceed $0.075/kWh for the generation and delivery of solar electricity, with commercial operation expected to begin in June 2025. This program is only for school districts. A solar field is to be erected in Genesse County and possibly a second field, if needed. If NorthStar can’t provide all the energy to the school, it will provide DTE energy to the school district at the reduced rate;
• Heard a presentation by BHS Principal Nicole Crockett on the BHS Media Center (library). She said the previous BHS Media Specialist resigned in the fall of 2020. COVID closed the media center at that time and the district didn’t have any luck in finding a replacement. Officials decided to wait until COVID allowed them to reopen the area to decide how to proceed. She said last year they found a part-time person to work in this role and that person is not available this year. The district will continue with the Media Center being open only for the fourth hour of the school day. She said they plan to try to find someone to staff the center before and after school for student use and research student-centered options for utilizing the space;
• Approved the resignations of teachers Devin Girbach of McBride as of Aug. 22 after three years, and Peter Cender from BHS as of Aug. 17, after one year;
• Approved the following instructional employees, all as of Aug. 23: TaShana Rembert, to teach CTE at BHS; Zachary Nowak to teach CI at McBride; Dominic Freda to instruct the NJROTC at BHS; and Michael Mayes to teach SS at McBride;
• Approved the retirement of Collen Holmes from food service after 24 years, as of Aug. 22; the resignation of Ashleigh Testorelli as of less than a year at Tyler; and the resignation of Kimberly Beyer as of Aug. 22, as a paraprofessional after one year;
• Approved hiring the following non-instructional employees: Jordan Parsons and Devin Sharp as custodians as of Aug. 21; Amanda Riggs as social worker at Edgemont/ECC as of Aug. 23; and Shannon Beach as secretary at Tyler as of Aug. 28; and
• Discussed the issue of parents wishing to pay registration fees for their students by internet having to pay a 3% handling fee for the payment. Andrea Mears said she was asked to pay a $14 processing fee. She was told the old service had a handling fee, too, and the district picked up the fee of $70,000 last year. School Supt. Pete Kudlak said the district is still accepting cash and he will look into the situation. “We have to make sure we have a cash option,” he said.
At the end of the regular meeting, the board went into closed-door session to consider reinstatement of Student 21-22-012. After that meeting the board came into regular session and voted to reinstate the student with conditions.
Before the regular meeting, at 6 p.m., the board held a special closed-door meeting to consider the reinstatement of another student, Student 22-23-012, and then went into open session to reinstate the student unconditionally.