VB School district to pave some of its part of Belleville’s Davis Street

With the parking lot upgrades almost done at Savage and Tyler elementary schools, there’s some $17,000 left in the contingencies from those sinking fund projects.
James Williams, director of plant operations, told the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education at the July 24 regular meeting that the part of the bus yard that is severely damaged is on Davis Street.
“It is a safety concern and has to be constantly repaired using cold patch,” he told the board. He showed the board pictures of the crumbling road.
“During construction at the bus yard, I’d like to use the balance of the contingency dollars to make the necessary repairs. To date, we anticipate having approximately $17,781 remaining to address this concern.”
Williams said they will be sectioning off the street and addressing some 70’ the district owns. He said they will get to the rest next time work is done.
He said they will not go over the contingency amount. Williams said they will put in an eight-inch base and eight inches of reinforced concrete on top. Drainage tile also will be added to address the water problem.
“This is just information,” School Supt. Pete Kudlak said to the board, noting they didn’t have to vote on it. “This is a city road, but that part is ours.”
The project change log Williams presented showed 4,050 square feet of concrete would cost $29,362, with curb at $43 per lineal foot.
On Tuesday, Supt. Kudlak said the school district owns 150’ of Davis Street and they are working to get as much of the budgeted money out of the elementary paving projects so they can use it for Davis paving.
For example, school employees can plant replacement grass and that project can be taken out of the budget for Tyler and free up money for Davis.
In other business at the 75-minute meeting on July 24, the board:
• Approved purchase of $166,218 worth of Acer R13 Chromebooks and accessories from CDWG using Enhancement Millage funds. This is to supply every member of the teaching staff, plus 20 extra for replacements and new teachers. In May, the district bought 216 Chromebooks for McBride students, in June it bought 400 for New Tech and Owen students, and in July 283 for staff. The board was told it is important for the teachers to have up-to-date equipment, the same as their students have;
• Approved purchase of two 65-passenger lift buses and four 47-passenger buses from Hoekstra in the amount of $610,776 through the MSBO/MAPT Bus Purchasing Program. They are expected to be delivered in October. The district budgeted $810,440 toward the purchase of new buses in 2017-18 and so there is still $199,664 remaining for the possibility of purchasing some recently returned leased buses in the spring of 2018;
• Heard Trustee Alison Bennett present the first reading of proposed board policy changes, as recommended by the Board Policy Committee and NEOLA, a consultant working through the Michigan Association of School Boards on updating policies. The updates include changes on the way meetings are run, criminal history checks, bullying of students, student suspensions, weapons, seclusion and restraint, and allowing the superintendent to make policy for food allowed for certain occasions. “This frees classrooms from the tyranny of whole wheat pizza crusts,” said Trustee Bennett;
• Voted unanimously to approve the second reading and adoption of another group of board policy updates, as presented by Trustee Susan Featheringill. Supt. Kudlak said the updated policies will be on line soon, when NEOLA posts them;
• Approved the terminations of two teachers and an administrator. Jessica Fant at BHS for four years left as of June 30 to stay home with her child; John Hill at BHS for two years resigned as of June 30; and Rawsonville Principal Delria Crippen left after five years of service as of July 3 to accept other employment;
• Approved the hiring of three new teachers, starting Aug. 29: Ryan Petersmark to teach art at BHS; Ryan Mills to teach social studies at McBride; and Nicole Slinker to teach science at McBride;
• Approved hiring three new custodians as of July 3: Autumn Miller, DeAndre Williams, and Matthew Wegeinka;
• Heard Human Resources Director Abdul Madyun explain the process under way to hire a replacement principal for Rawsonville. He said 79 applicants submitted resumes and a committee of teachers, working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., was able to reduce that number to 39. Then there were phone interviews of all 39 and a reduction to 13. After the first round of interviews, the number has been reduced to five, two of which are internal candidates. The five are going through three-part interviews and the final two will go to Supt. Kudlak for a final selection. Madyun said their goal was to get someone by Aug. 1 and they are right on track;
• Heard Madyun say the district is also hiring for other various positions and hopefully everybody will be in place before school starts; and
• Heard Trustee Featheringill report she went to the district library town hall meeting that was held at the Methodist Church July 18. She said she was impressed that the new library will have a specially designed teen area. Parent Angela Mears said the library should be asked to have Chromebooks available for students whose internet is out at home or they can’t get to McDonald’s to use the WiFi.