Supt.: BHS Cosmetology class CTE designation ‘a feather in our cap’

At the March 9 meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education director of instruction Jill Marvaso reported the Michigan Department of Education has designated the Cosmetology class at Belleville High School as a CTE.
This is “a feather in our cap,” said school superintendent Pete Kudlak.
A CTE is a Career and Technical Education class in high school. It focuses on hands-on learning with real application rather than theory to give students a jump start on employment.
The Michigan Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education and the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity contracted to produce five videos and two social media clips for recruiting students to CTE. The intent is that CTE programs and schools will use the videos for student recruitment statewide.
In addition to the Cosmetology class, BHS offers CTE classes for Teacher Cadets, Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Marketing, Robotics and Mechanatronics, and Tiger Pit/Spirit Shop.
Director Marvaso also announced that the summer school program will start June 22 at Savage Elementary School.
In other business at the March 9 meeting, the board:
• Approved the hiring of Lisa Genoa as of March 16 as a CI teacher at Rawsonville Elementary School;
• Approved the resignations of custodians Steven Thom, as of Feb. 23, after four years of service, and Collin Ward as of March 12 after less than a year of service; and the resignation of bus aide Trenna Pressley as of March 13 after one year of service;
• Approved the employment of paraprofessionals Brianna Adams at the Early Childhood Center as of March 3, Precious Harris and Brigette Batie at Rawsonville as of March 9; and bus aide Stephen Haverlock as of March 2;
• Heard parent Angela Mears explain the final fund raisers for the BHS class of 2026’s party at the end of the year. Parents had been asked to raise $4,000 or $5,000 of the $20,000 party cost, she said. She said a Dine to Donate events will be from 10 a.m. to midnight on March 18 and April 22 at Hungry Howie’s in Van Buren Township and from 4 to 8 p.m. on April 13 at Chipotle. Also a can and bottle drive will be noon to 3 p.m. at BHS on May 17. She said the parents had raised $3,344.02 for the party so far; and
• Heard Maya Liggins, president of the BHS class of 2028, announce that when the student council went to Grand Rapids for the state conference, BHS got several awards.