School board votes to pay $290,491 over 5 years for new math program

At its May 13 regular meeting, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to spend $290,491 over a five-year period for the Illustrative Mathematics Curriculum for grades 6-8.
The new math program was explained in detail at the last school board meeting by Renea Kurek, secondary instructional specialist coach, and School Supt. Pete Kudlak said nobody had forwarded any questions to him on the program, so it was quickly approved.
At the previous meeting, Kurek said for the previous six years, McBride had used the Discovery Tech Book and Owen’s sixth-grade teachers had been using Everyday Math. They have adjusted the curriculum to accommodate diverse learners and have integrated real-world applications, she said.
She said a district team began evaluating and selecting a new math program last fall and after a selection process recommended Illustrative by Imagine Learning for grades 6-8.
In other business at the May 13 meeting, the school board:
• Approved the design services contract with Integrated Design Solutions for a lump-sum of $90,000 from the sinking fund with reimbursable expenses up to $5,000 for secure entry renovations to Tyler and Savage schools. Rod Kakoczki of consultant Plante Moran Realpoint said IDS will do the entire design process, including getting bids later this year and assisting with the bidding process and construction phase next year. The project will move the offices, currently in the center of the identical buildings built in the 1970s, to two classrooms at the perimeter of the buildings and the former offices will be used for small-group instruction. Supt Kudlak said with the Tyler and Savage secure entries in place, the district will have all secure entries;
• Approved the annual field trip for the Marching Band to go to band camp at Tamarack Camp in Ortonville Aug. 19-23. Students in grades 9-12 will learn how to march and play the music. Cost is $300-$330 per student;
• Heard an update on the 2019 bond money projects by James Williams, director of plant operations, and Rob Kakoczki of Plante Moran Realpoint. A quarterly update to the board was requested. The bond was sold in three series and there was $41.5 million total funds available for projects. The first project was construction of the Early Childhood Development Center;
• Heard the Spring Building Presentations from the staffs of the Early Childhood Development Center and Tyler Elementary School;
• Discussed the proposed Wayne RESA General Fund budget for the upcoming school year. Each school district in RESA must vote to support, or disapprove with specific objections the budget, prior to June 1. A vote is scheduled for the next regular meeting;
• Approved the resignations of non-instructional staff members Rachel Lemasters after less than a year at Owen as of May 1 and Bryanna Frady of eight years in the transportation department as of May 16. Shawnee Lawson of Edgemont was terminated after one year of service as of May 2;
• Approved the hiring of bus aide Aaron McQuade as of May 6;
• Approved the resignations of teachers Emmanuel Jones of Tyler after less than a year of service as of April 26 and Anthony Ploucha of Belleville High School after for years of service as of Aug. 30;
• Heard Finance Director Priya Nayak report that officially the use of federal ESSER funds is over and it’s a shock to be going back to the much-smaller, pre-COVID general fund budget for next school year;
• Heard Director of Plant Operations James Williams report the state has new guidelines for drinking water safety that’s called “Filter First.” He said the district has to have a drinking water safety plan in place and add approved filters to consumable drinking stations, among other requirements; and
• Heard BHS graduating senior Natalia Payne, who has been sitting on the school board to provide student input on and off with others for more than three years, announce this was her last meeting since she is graduating. She reported she has earned more than 50 college credits as a high school student without charge. She said she just won a Student Activity Award, and participating in the school board was one of the reasons. She said May 16 is the seniors’ last day of school, May 17 is the senior prom, and May 18 the senior party, with the commencement ceremony on May 23.