The Chippewa Valley Schools Board of Education took several votes at its Sept. 30 meeting on personnel, benefits and safety items.

Personnel: The board approved the hire of Frank Houston as director of custodial services and maintenance with an effective start date of Oct. 1, 2024. Superintendent Ron Roberts told the board Houston rose to the top of a competitive candidate pool and praised custodial staff leadership; Houston addressed the board briefly and expressed appreciation.

Benefits: The board approved an amendment to the district's Section 125 cafeteria plan to transition to a calendar-year plan beginning in 2025. The amendment sets a shortened transitional plan year (Oct. 1, 2024'12/31/2024) and permits employees to carry over up to 20% of the maximum unused flexible spending account funds into calendar year 2025 and beyond.

Bond work and contracts: The board approved the August 2024 change order summary for the 2018 bond issue; administration said the changes are within contingency budgets and reviewed earlier by the building and site subcommittee. Funding will come from the 2018 Building and Site Fund and an identified safety grant.

Resolutions: The board adopted a resolution recognizing October 2024 as Red Ribbon Month to promote drug-prevention awareness and community partnerships. The board also unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the superintendent to negotiate with Clinton Township and Macomb Township police to add at least one additional school resource officer (SRO) from each township, with costs to be shared consistent with current SRO arrangements.

Superintendent contract: After an executive-session discussion, the board approved the eleventh amendment to Superintendent Roberts' employment contract. The amendment, the board said, is intended to keep the district competitive with comparable districts amid ongoing litigation and changing pension interpretations. The transcript records the voice vote passed with one opposed noted.

Votes and procedural notes: Multiple actions were approved by voice votes following motions and support; several items were introduced with brief rationales from administration or the appropriate subcommittee. The meeting also included a consent agenda approval earlier in the evening.

Next steps: Administrators will carry out the hiring, benefit-plan transition, SRO negotiations and contract amendment implementation steps, and they will report back to the board as required by standard administrative practice.