Van Buren Public Schools to have computers for all

At Monday’s meeting, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a $650,817.42 proposal to put computers into the hands of all its students, Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Every Belleville High School student will have a device to use and take home.
The purchase will be made with Technology budgets from the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years, as well as $284,730.72 in the Enhancement Millage received in the 2017-18 school year.
Director of Instruction Jeff Moore said as part of the district’s strategic plan, they are continuing to purchase additional hardware (laptops, tablets) to support student learning.
“As a result of this purchase, all of our schools will have increased access to technology devices, including Belleville High School having one device for every student effective for the 2018-19 school year,” Moore said.
BHS will get 1,650 Chromebooks in cases with pouches that they can take home. McBride Middle School will have team-base shared carts with Chromebooks: six carts with 36 Chromebooks in each — one cart for every two teachers.
Owen Intermediate School will get six shared carts with 33 Chromebooks in each cart.
The elementary schools will each get four to six Tech Tubs with 24-36 eSpark Ipads and one cart with 33 Chromebooks in it.
Sean Garland, IT Network Administrator, said they could start the purchasing process as early as the next day. He said they are all in the warehouse ready to sell.
When asked about breakage, Garland said there is a non-refundable breakage fee and he fixes those he can and there is a vendor who fixes the rest within a short time. The student who is without his regular Chromebook, will get to use a loaner.
When asked if they could put a tracker on the computer, Garland said it’s not a cost-effective way to track them. He said if a computer goes astray, he would send a message to bring it back and then make it unusable.
“We can track it in school, but it’s hard if it gets outside,” Garland said.
In other action at the May 14 meeting, the board:
• Approved a Discovery Education Digital Leader Corps proposal for $501,200 to provide professional development for 20 teachers on how to integrate technology into the classroom. Board member Alison Bennett said what is happening is, “You get the technology, now how do you use it?” Parent Angela Mears noted there is a shortage of substitutes and it might be a problem to take the 20 teachers out of their classrooms for training;
• Approved making Lacrosse an official varsity sport beginning with the 2018-19 school year at an additional cost of $16,500 to the Athletic Budget and to approve a cooperative agreement with Huron High School in New Boston for the team. Lacross has been a successful club sport at both the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels at BHS since 2007;
• Heard a Wellness Policy presentation by Karen Waller, Food Service Manager. She said the policy has to be updated every three years and she worked with the Health Advisory Committee using a Michigan Department of Education prototype on nutrition education, food service, and physical education;
• Approved the contract with Marco’s Pizza to be extended for one year to provide pizzas to the district for the 2018-19 school year. Waller said cost is $7.50 per pizza and 6,000 were provided this year at a cost of $42,000. “He follows all the rules and it’s the best ever” pizza, Waller said;
• Approved a settlement agreement between the Van Buren Education Support Team (VBEST) and the Van Buren Schools not to exceed $50,000. Director of Human Resources Abdul Madyun explained that during the 2015-16 school year, the Transportation Department filed grievances and VBEST has four separate grievances that were going to arbitration. The union and the district agreed to put those grievances on hold because of what was going on in the district. This is a settlement between the two groups to settle the outstanding issues. Madyun said the grievances had to do with employee hours and pay, per the contract. He said research showed what was on the time cards and what was being paid wasn’t correct. “We did make mistakes,” agreed Supt. Pete Kudlak. Madyun said this agreement will clean up the grievances and possible arbitration, “And now we have none at all.” He said they found 61 bus drivers that would get $820 each. They would make sure everything is correct before finalizing the agreement;
• Heard Susan Featheringill present the first reading of policy changes that included reducing the board pay from $30 per meeting, with a cap of one meeting per day, to $30 per meeting, not more than 52 times. Board President Keith Johnston said at a recent training session they were told that board members can’t serve as school volunteers because it is a conflict. Supt. Kudlak said he would check that out and bring information back to the board;
• Approved the annual Wayne RESA budget;
• Approved the termination of Kelli Kubrak, a McBride Middle School teacher who is relocating after three years of service, as of June 30; and the hiring of Dana Nanni as a special education teacher at Owen, as of May 3;
• Approved the retirements of Nancy Stoddart, after 16 years in the Transportation Department, as of June 21; Janine Alexander, after 19 years in Transportation as of June 14; and Chance Lowell, a paraprofessional with less than one year of service, resigning as of May 16. Also approved was the hiring of Nicole Stephenson for a paraprofessional position at Owen;
• Approved the Saturday, June 9, annual Family Fun Day trip to Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, for 80-100 eighth-grade band members at McBride, at a cost of $50 to $55, depending on transportation;
• Witnessed presentation of a framed certificate to Morgan Bennett, design winner of the T-shirt for the McBride 5K Fun Run, to be held Saturday, May 19;
• Witnessed presentation of $24,937 in grants to teachers by the Van Buren Public Schools Education Foundation;
• Heard Director of Instruction Moore say he and Supt. Kudlak attended a Wayne RESA event on Teacher Leaders and brought three teachers from Van Buren along who were feted: Jen Garland, Tracy Delfuoco, and Jason Strzalkowski.