VBPS revises method to distribute free meals to kids out of school

School Supt. Pete Kudlak said there were a lot of willing volunteers who got together to prepare the free breakfasts and lunches for students not in school and take the meals around in school buses to distribute last week.
Students are out of school until April 14 because of the coronavirus and the district wants to make sure anyone between the ages of 0 and 18 that lives in the district gets food to eat.
He said there were 16 staff members, plus the bus drivers, plus the food service workers who prepared the meals.
At Monday’s virtual meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, Supt. Kudlak said to cut back on the number of people working on the project and be in compliance with state rules about the number of people in gatherings, the method of distributing the food has been changed.
He said as of this week the meals will be distributed from one pick-up location at the back of the high school between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They will get meals for two days on Tuesday and three days on Thursday, he said.
Those coming for food should drive in the west driveway of the high school, the one marked for student pick up and the administration building. They should drive to the back of the administration parking lot, next to the tennis courts, and then around to the rear of the food service area at the high school, where the meals will be distributed.
Supt. Kudlak said they will ask no questions, require no ID, and write down only how many meals were given out.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order 2020-15 allows school boards to conduct a virtual meeting. The Van Buren Public Schools’ board policy requires board members to be physically present in order to vote, so the board voted unanimously Monday to suspend that policy until the governor lifts the executive order that allows for virtual board meetings.
At a virtual meeting all votes are by roll call.
All board members were in different locations but were able to be seen and heard as they discussed board business. There was a way for members of the public to ask questions, as well, although one person said her picture and sound were “cutting out.”
Supt. Kudlak said it could be due to the person’s computer equipment.
The board also voted unanimously, by roll-call vote, to approve Granger Construction Company as the construction management firm for the 2019 VBPS Bond Program Projects, mainly the early childhood education center.
Six proposals were received and three were shortlisted, according to Robert Kakoczki, vice president of Plante Moran CRESA. He also was present virtually and explained the process used to recommend Granger.
Kakoczki said the budget established in the bond application for Construction Manager Costs and Fees was 10% of the cost of construction. Based upon the recommended contract award to Granger, the total Construction Manager Costs and fees are projected to be about 9.2%, which is a projected cost savings of approximately $180,000, he said.
In other business at the 39-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the retirement of Michael Bateman, an Owen Intermediate School teacher, after 31 years of service as of June 30; and the resignation of Charles Takasy after less than one year of service teaching at Rawsonville Elementary as of March 6, with no reason given;
• Approved the employment of Sadie Schultz as special education teacher at Belleville High School and Alyssa Slayton as teacher at McBride Middle School, both as of March 16;
• Heard Director of Plant Operations James Williams announce that he will forward information to the board for consideration of a proposal for HVAC work at Edgemont and Rawsonville schools under the CD Fund program. He said usually such work is done in the summer time;
• Heard Director of Curriculum Jeff Moore say the teachers and administration are providing support for education during the coronavirus shutdown and they are available for information. He couldn’t unmute himself at first and he suggested it might be because of his children watching Netflix, which he got over the last few days;
• Heard Supt. Kudlak say there are so many unknowns right now and although the day to come back to school had been set for April 13, it is now April 14. With that date, under current rules, the district would have 14 days to make up – or the state could forgive them. Or, school could be canceled until September. He said graduation might be postponed, but it would not be canceled. Kudlak said after working for 13 years, he wants the students to have the opportunity to go through graduation. “We hope to work something out,” he said;
• Learned the April 13 board meeting would be another virtual meeting;
• Heard Kudlak answer a question about grants from the Van Buren Educational Foundation, saying although the money already awarded had to be spent by April 1, this is not possible and the purchase date could be pushed until fall;
• Heard Moore say that the AP tests will be taken online and the third-grade reading law has been tabled because the students can’t be tested this spring; and
• Heard Kudlak say if the students’ break is extended, it will be the Michigan Department of Education that decides.