School Board revises construction plans for McBride by $222,258

At the Aug. 12 meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, the board unanimously approved changing the cafeteria serving line at McBride Middle School, which hikes the total cost of this summer’s construction to $1,082,258 in sinking funds.
Construction at McBride, as well as Tyler and Savage elementaries are taking place this summer.
James Williams, director of plant operations, said the district has wanted to upgrade/renovate the serving line at McBride for several years, but budget and other priorities have prevented this until now.
“The renovation of McBride is a great opportunity to address the long-needed serving line update,” Williams said in a memo to the board. “Taking advantage of the building’s renovation to complete the upgrade is a smart move. It’s likely to be more efficient and cost-effective to integrate the serving-line improvements while other work is ongoing.”
The board approved increasing the project by $222,258 to the new total.
Robert Kakoczki, vice president of Plante Moran Realpoint, explained the series 3 bond construction consisted of Bid Package #9 at Savage and Tyler Elementary Schools and Bid Package #10 at McBride Middle School. The project award recommendation was approved in December 2023 with a 7.5% construction contingency totaling $860,000. This construction contingency is established to cover changes that come up during construction.
Kakoczki said as part of Bid Package #10 at McBride, the cafeteria is being renovated. As construction was getting started, the district started to look at renovating the cafeteria serving line. They worked with a food service consultant to develop a new serving line that would enhance the services and provide a better student flow.
At an earlier meeting, the board was told this would introduce the students to a cafeteria that would familiar to them when they get to the high school, which earlier had changed its cafeteria setup.
In other business at the 68-minute meeting, the board:
• Heard the first reading of a list of more than 30 board policy updates recommended by Thrun Law Firm to keep up with the new Public Employment Relations Act and other current laws. The board policy committee met last Friday to consider the changes, which were presented to the board by vice president Featheringill, who was presiding at the meeting in the absence of president Amy Pearce. The policy changes will be read for a second time at the next meeting and voted on;
• Accepted the resignations of the following teachers: Jason Butka from Belleville High School, as of Aug. 31, after 18 years of service; Nicole McCraight of Tyler Elementary, as of Aug. 23, after 12 years of service; Brittany Cavazos of the Early Childhood Center, as of Aug. 2, as of two years of service; and Whitney Aumiller of Savage Elementary as of Aug. 27, after three years of service;
• Approved the Aug. 28 employment of Hillary Dandridge as a fifth-grade teacher at Owen Intermediate, Alexandria Davis as a sixth-grade teacher at Owen, and Stefanie Halliday as a BHS media specialist. It was pointed out that Halliday had been a media specialist at the school two years ago and had left. “We’re glad to have her back,” said School Supt. Pete Kudlak; and
• Accepted the non-instructional employee resignations of Felicia Mahdi, after eight years at Owen, as of July 30; and Julia Thorn, after four years in Transportation, as of Sept. 2.
Absent from the Aug. 12 meeting were Amy Pearce, Simone Pinter, and Dionne Falconer.