VBPS gives Kudlak top rating, extends contract, ups salary

On Monday, Dec. 5, after a second closed-door session to evaluate the work of School Supt. Pete Kudlak, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted in open session to rate Supt. Kudlak as “Highly Effective,” the top rating, for the calendar year January-December 2022.
The board also extended his contract to June 30, 2028 and gave him a raise in his 2023-24 school year salary to $165,000 to begin in July. His salary is now $159,000.
His contract had been for three years, with extension of a year each time it came up. Now it has been extended to a five- year contract.
The “Highly Effective” rating is at the top of the chart on the multi-page Michigan Association of School Boards’ evaluation form. The board also gave him the top rating in its 2019, 2020, and 2021 evaluations.
Also during the Dec. 5 meeting, the board:
• Approved the resignation of BHS Head Football Coach Jermain Crowell as of Dec. 1 and Building and Grounds employee Diane Faison as of Nov. 29; and the termination of Building and Grounds employee Lenoye McBride as of Dec. 5;
• Approved hiring Belinda Hunter as a paraprofessional at Rawsonville Elementary School as of Dec. 12 and Kelly Doty as a part-time secretary at Savage Elementary School as of Dec. 19;
• Approved the retirement of teacher Catherine Dronzejko of Owen Intermediate School after 20 years of service and approved the employment of Taura Sadvery as a STEM teacher at Owen as of Dec. 5 and Peyton Harding as an English teacher at Belleville High School as of Dec. 19;
• Approved the annual summer tax resolution that states the district will continue to collect 100% of summer taxes. Director of Finance Priya Nayak said if the district does not levy summer taxes, it does not have enough fund balance to operate without revenue until the first state aid payment of the school year in October;
• Heard Plante Moran Cresa consultant Rob Kakoczki give information on the bids for a civil engineer for concrete replacement at the elementary schools that will be voted on at an upcoming meeting. Low bidder of two for civil engineering was Spalding DeDecker at $69,300. This would be funded from the sinking fund and concrete work done next summer. The other bidder was Hennessey Engineers at $120,000. The work includes surveying a select area at each site, design and bid assistance, and construction administration;
• Approved the Schools of Choice program participation during the second semester of the 2022-23 school year and will offer an unlimited number of openings at all schools. When board treasurer Simone Pinter asked how many Schools of Choice students the district has, nobody had the information, but it was estimated that 10-12% of all the students in the district come through Schools of Choice. Supt. Kudlak said the district gets a chart each spring denoting how many Schools of Choice students are in each grade;
• Set the school board organizational meeting for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 at the BHS Commons. This is the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day;
• Heard Director of Curriculum Jeff Moore say his department is working on providing Schools of Choice digital applications, which would be easier for all and be available the first of the year;
• Heard Karen Johnston, the director of special education, announce she is resigning to take a new job in another district. She had been with the district for 18 years;
• Heard Kaden Tubbs, vice president of the student council, say the BHS student council members will present at the state conference in Grand Rapids on the BHS program called Toys for Kids. He said this is to benefit students at BHS and the elementary schools. He said they adopt two kids from each school and fulfill their wish lists as much as possible. The board applauded his report;
• Heard Supt. Kulak recite a list of donations from members of the community, including the BYC which was “super generous” in providing blazers for the football team. Kudlak noted, “It makes a difference how you show up,” adding the blazers can also be worn to apply for a job. The BYC also filled up the board room with presents for 15 families, which they have been doing for five years, “an impressive number of gifts.” He said Lighthouse Ministries donated $1,400 to zero out lunch bills owed by students; and
• Heard board secretary Darlene Gerick say that the biography of retired School Supt. James Richendollar is going into a second printing. She said a book signing has been set for noon to 4 p.m. on Jan.7 at the Belleville Area District Library.