VBPS school board spends first hour of meeting on accolades

At the June 12 regular meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, the board spent the first hour on accolades for students and retiring teachers and the second hour on business.
First, Athletic Director Joseph Brodie told about the successes of the spring sports teams. He said 700 students at the high school are involved in sports, with a dozen athletes in three sports and some in four sports.
“Our teams are doing fantastic,” he said.
Called up to the front of the meeting to be honored were members of the girls soccer team and the three track and field athletes who won state medals. He said the softball team wasn’t present, but it won an Academic All-State award with a 3.44 grade point average overall. The Lacrosse team, which is new and still growing, won the distinction of #1 Sportsmanship Team in this area.
Then the top 10 seniors were called forward and five were present. BHS Principal Nicole Crockett said there are 414 seniors and these top ten had grade point averages from 4.293 to 4.595.
Then principals of several schools heaped praise on seven teachers who were retiring and present. Each received a bag of goodies and a handshake from all the board members.
They were Cindy Davis, Michelle Loechli, Iris Rinaldi, Ernie Krumm, Paula Brown, Tim Miller, and Toni Kurash.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak pointed out two teachers had died, Sherry Browning, a parapro at the Early Childhood Center, and Denise Willoughby, Edgemont Kindergarten teacher.
By then it was after 8 p.m. and time to begin the meeting. The school board:
• Heard Human Resource Director John Leroy introduce Darnell Pace of Chartwells, who as of July 1 will be in charge of food services;
• Approved membership for Belleville High School and McBride Middle School in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) for the 2023-24 school year;
• Heard spring building presentations from Edgemont and Rawsonville elementary schools;
• Approved the resignation of bus aide Amanda Bielski as of June 5 after 10 years of service;
• Approved the retirement of Peter TenBroeck of Owen Intermediate School as of June 23 after 24 years of service; and the resignation of Sarah Hern from the Early Childhood Center as of June 21 after six years of service;
• Approved the employment of Paula Slingerland as BHS assistant principal as of July 1;
• Heard Sean Garland, IT administrator, give an update on plans for security camera updates for parts of the high school and the bus compound. The costs will be presented at the next meeting for the board’s consideration;
• Approved the purchase of 800 student Chromebooks from Sehi Computing for the total amount of $236,664 from the 2023-24 Sinking Funds. This is for 1-1 deployment at Owen for incoming fifth graders and at BHS for incoming freshmen. The students will have the computers for four years;
• Approved the Coooperative Education Program Agreement with Livonia Public Schools for the 2023-24 school year as presented. Cost is $8,000 per student attending the program and Van Buren Public Schools currently has four attending. The contract is for up to 10 students, ages 18 to 26 with IEPs, to attend Livonia’s program. The program provides the opportunity for those with mild cognitive impairment to learn job skills, continue training, receive vocational and avocational pathway supports and attend classes on a community college campus;
• Heard Director of Instruction Jeff Moore report on VBPS Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan, as required by the state;
• Approved a new elective course, “Unreal Engine Game Design,” for BHS for the upcoming school year, as presented. This is for 0.5 credit for grades 9-12. This is in addition to the new courses approved at the previous meeting. “Kids like it a lot. A lot,” Moore said;
• Approved the Cooperative Education Program Agreement with Wayne Westland Community Schools for the 2023-24 school year that permits certain VBPS students to receive vocational education services at the William D. Ford Career Technical Center at a cost of .25 FTE of the Wayne Westland Foundation Grant plus an additional $50 in administrative cost per pupil;
• Heard April Turnbull say she felt the passing of Sherry Browning, who served the district for 25 years, was passed over since she was a parapro. Parapros feel they are not a real part of the district, she said. She fought tears as she said although the administration was advised of the death, her coworkers didn’t find out until a few days later and her students a week later. She got no accolades. Turnbull said Browning deserved more and her coworkers are saddened and disappointed;
• Heard Supt. Kudlak say all of the support staff is appreciated because what they do is important. Board president Amy Pearce said the board members appreciate the parents and support staff because they are so important to the education of the students; and
• Heard Supt. Kudlak announce that this is the last meeting for Andrea VanDenBerg, a parent who has been reporting details of each school board meeting on Facebook in real time for seven and a half years so people would know what the district is doing. Her younger son graduated with the class of 2023.