VBPS officials: Error was made by student in honors class remarks

At the end of the Feb. 24 regular meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, board president Amy Pearce said she and school superintendent Pete Kudlak discussed the remarks made by a student at the last board meeting.
This followed a question by new board member David Shall on honors classes.
President Pearce said she was not present at the Feb. 10 meeting where the remarks were made. She said the fact is the 11th and 12th grade honors English classes are going away because of low enrollment. But, Belleville High School still offers 9th and 10th grade honors classes.
She said those students wishing to take honors English are being encouraged to take AP (advanced placement) classes in English literature and language or a general English course, which remain. She said the general English course is a wonderful class.
Pearce said they did not have a full class in honors English so it was eliminated, but “We have not cut all honors classes.”
“AP English is not hard,” she said. “If you can do honors, you can do AP.” She told how her daughter, who loves math and hates English, took an AP English class to be with friends and she did very well.
“I hope more kids sign up for AP,” she said.
Board secretary Darlene Gerick asked if students are not required to take the AP tests at the end.
Pearce said she discussed that with the superintendent and they weren’t sure about that and he would check into it.
Parent Angela Mears said five AP exams cost $300.
Pearce said they just wanted to make sure that everyone knew the information given by the student at the last meeting was incorrect. The student had said students can’t take honors courses and some honors classes are available.
Pearce was referring to the comments from senior class president and student council president Ivana Goff, who gave a lengthy report on BHS activities on Feb. 10. She is one of the students who regularly sits at the school board table.
Among other things on Feb. 10, Ivana reported that BHS is doing away with honors classes because the classes keep the students from interacting with each other. She said when the honor students come from the Gifted and Talented classes at Savage Elementary, they tend to stick together through the rest of their schooling.
She said students are being encouraged to sign up for AP classes, but you have to pay for AP tests, which deters some. Ivana was not present at the Feb. 24 meeting.
In other business at the Feb. 24 meeting, the board:
• Approved spending $466,702.02 out of the fund balance to purchase 35 copiers and software from Applied Innovations. Sean Garland, IT administrator, said the copiers have a life of 5 years and the present copiers are 8 years old and new repair parts are not available. In response to questions by parent Todd Mears, financial director Priya Nayak said the purchase was not in this year’s budget, but is in the amended budget being approved that evening. The copiers are expected to be delivered during spring break;
• Approved the first budget amendment for the 2024-25 school year, as presented by Nayak. She said there were 17 fewer students than expected. Pearce said it was unprecedented that there was zero upgrade in foundation allowance from the state. She said some districts get more than the minimum foundation allowance that Van Buren gets and, “That infuriates me.” Nayak said there was increased local tax income because of the increase in Sumpter Township. The amended general fund budget had $71,536,560 in total revenue and $73,981,926 in total expenses, with an increased fund balance expected on June 30, 2025 of $10,917,259 (14.56% of the budget);
• Learned the district was seeking a 3-year waiver from the state that would allow the district to open school before Labor Day, if it wanted to. The required hearing would be held at the next board meeting when a representative from the state would be present by phone, Kudlak said. After public comment and discussion, the state representative would announce a decision;
• Voted unanimously to cast the district’s single vote for Ursula (Wester) Rogers to be the Region 8 representative in the Michigan Association of School Board’s board of directors for a three-year term. Rogers works in the Van Buren Public Schools and is on the Romulus School Board. The vote will be sent on by email for the election;
• Learned a board workshop will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, at the administration building. It will be a general discussion on the operation of the school board, especially for the three new members. The workshop is open to the public;
• Approved the March 2 resignation of teacher Angela Given from Savage Elementary School and the employment of Brooklin Hardiman as English teacher at BHS as of Feb. 3 and Haley Wagner as speech pathologist at the Early Childhood Center as of Feb. 24;
• Approved the termination of Shelly McEven from Food Service after two years of service on Feb. 18; and the resignations of Angela Bragg-Carey from Transportation as of Feb. 4 after less than a year and Kaci Chandler from Food Service as of Feb. 11 after a year of service;
• Approved hiring Daryl Bowen, Jr. as a bus driver and Cory Parks as a bus aide, both as of Feb. 11, and Samantha Wilson as a custodian as of Feb. 24;
• Heard director of student services Julien Frazier note that Connie Testorelli will be honored as Michigan’s Special Education Teacher of the Year on Thursday, Feb. 27, in Grand Rapids;
• Heard curriculum director Jeff Moore report that there was a water main break at Edgemont Elementary School last week and the students were picked up by buses because it was too late to stop the pickup and then released to family members shortly thereafter. Supt. Kudlak said he just got word that another water main has broken as they speak and this one is near Owen Intermediate School;
• Learned the BHS Polar Plunge which was set for Feb. 18, to raise funds for unified sports, has been postponed until March 6, because the weather was too polar for the first date. The tank will be outside in the BHS parking lot;
• Heard Pearce remind everyone that the Jazz Band Spaghetti Dinner will be this Saturday at BHS and the meat will be ground by the Butcher Shop that morning, so “the meatballs should be the best-ever”; and
• Went into closed-door session at 8:07 p.m. to discuss action on possible reinstatement of a student who had been expelled during the 2024-25 school year. After the board came back into open session, it voted to reinstate student 24-25-012 with conditions. The school board meeting was adjourned at 8:38 p.m.