VB Schools close to removing mask mandate for students

The Wayne County Health Department is expected to end the mask mandate for students on a county level by the end of the month, leaving school districts to decide their rules for themselves.
A parent was present at Monday’s regular meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education. She identified herself as a graduate of Belleville High School and wanted to know if the mask situation had changed and is ending on a county level.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said that subject was to be a part of his report at the end of the meeting, but he addressed it early to answer the parent’s question.
He said they were informed that the county health department has a new director, who will start on Wednesday, and he will make the decision after he gets settled in, which could be as early as Friday.
Supt. Kudlak said Wayne County is the only county in the state still having the mask mandate for students.
He said the district will be in contact with the new director and because of cases trending down, it is expected the director will rescind the mandate.
“Our numbers are low and they will look at the community,” Kudlak said.
The district recorded two positive cases of COVID on Monday, Feb. 7, and then zero cases the rest of last week.
Kudlak said when the county drops the mandate, the district will drop its mandate and just recommend masks for students.
Kudlak said since this started in March 2020, the district has stated that local school officials are not health experts and they will follow what the experts say.
He said students will be allowed to wear masks if they like. Masks will be required on school buses, he said. There is a federal requirement for masks on all forms of public transportation, Kudlak said. School buses fall into this category. The requirement sunsets on March 18 and they may or may not extend it until the federal government changes its rules, he said.
He said staff members who show their proofs of vaccination are not required to wear masks. If they do not show proof of vaccination, they are required to wear masks. He said the district is not requiring vaccinations.
Also at Monday’s 45-minute meeting, the school board:
• Heard Financial Director Sara Cortese announce that the district received funds on Feb. 10 from the most recent bond sale and the total amount available for capital improvements is $88,000 higher than budgeted for. And, the debt service came in $6.6 million less than expected. “These are fantastic numbers for us,” she said;
• Approved the $8,156,563 Owen Intermediate School upgrade project and Granger Construction’s costs from the 2019 Bond Program to begin April 4 and be done in steps for groups of the rooms and be done by the end of December;
• Approved the contract award of $878,415.17 along with a project contingency of $41,584.83 for a total cost of $920,000 for upgrades to the high school football field, along with the track and tennis courts. It is expected to begin as soon as athletics is over this spring and be complete by Aug. 15. Ten years ago, when the new high school was built, the district saved for the turf replacement which is being done. Now resurfacing the track and tennis courts is necessary and it should be another 10 years before they need to look at full replacements;
• Was given information by Rob Kakoczki of Plante Moran Cresa on the company recommended for moving furniture out of Owen as work progresses, storing the furniture in on-site storage containers, and then moving back into the building once the construction is completed in the summer of 2022. He said this assistance is a necessity due to the tight timelines before and after construction at Owen. There were four bids and low bidder at $47,717.50 was Rose Moving and Storage of Belleville who is recommended. Bond money is being used for the project. The board will vote on this contract at the next meeting;
• Was given information by Kakoczki on the asbestos abatement services for the Owen project, which includes flooring and pipe insulation. The apparent low bidder of two is Global Green Services at $133,874.50 total cost. This cost also is in the bond budget and the contract will be voted on by the board at the next meeting;
• Approved the ECA@EMU Cooperative Agreement that extends the district’s partnership with Eastern Michigan University through the 2025-26 school year. This extension allows the district to send 25 more students in each grade level, which Kudlak said is triple what the district had before. Kudlak said with the first agreement, the district sent EMU the complete foundation allowance for each student and with this agreement it will be less. The agreement adds giving the superintendent the ability to negotiate and sign future extensions of this agreement without board approval;
• Discussed the four candidates running for one seat on the board of directors in Region 8 of the Michigan Association of School Boards, which the board will be expected to vote on at its next meeting;
• Approved the second reading and final approval of three proposed policy changes presented by Dionne Falconer at the last meeting. She said the policy committee recommended not adopting two more policies, #3409 Face Mask Requirement or #3119 Experimental or Pilot Programs, because neither one is necessary as a policy. The committee recommended revisions to #2201 Board Powers/General Powers, #4205, Hiring and Background Checks and #4601 General. She said two of those allow the superintendent to do his job and the other is to follow the law;
• Approved the retirement of McBride teacher Christine Morton after 18 years of service as of Jan. 28;
• Approved the resignations of the following teachers: Walter Boykin from Owen as of Jan. 21 after five years of service; Lindsey Tregenza of Belleville High School as of Jan. 7 after less than a year of service; and Jessica Hernandez-Lopez of BHS as of Feb. 11, after less than one year of service;
• Approved the terminations of the following non-instructional staff, who all have less than one year of service: Vandella Hubbard of Student Services as of Jan. 27, Terra Cox of Student Services as of Feb. 1, and Brenda Houghtaling from Transportation as of Feb. 7;
• Approved the hiring of non-instructional employees: Charles Johnson as custodian as of Jan. 25, Larua Blankenship as sub-custodian as of Jan. 27, Tiffany Tomlin as custodian as of Jan. 27, Angela Lucas as paraprofessional at Rawsonville as of Feb. 1, and Eric Kabore for P/T Tech Support as of Feb. 7; and
• Heard BHS student Natalia Payne, who was sitting on the board for the evening as the student representative, announce that BHS is celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week.