The Milan Area Schools Board of Education approved new labor agreements with two employee groups and created a new leadership role for its growing early childhood program during its March 11 meeting.
Trustee Sara Meray was absent. In her absence, Trustee Cassie Prior served as acting secretary. All other board members were present.
Board members approved a tentative agreement with the Milan Area Schools Support Staff (MASSS). District officials said the contract includes wage increases averaging about 3.56 percent along with several language updates.
Superintendent Ryan McMahon said the agreement includes updates to insurance language, changes tied to Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act and adjustments to wage schedules.
“We went through and made a number of language changes,” McMahon said. “Obviously wage schedules increased. We generally put a 3.56 percent raise across all three groups.”
The agreement also adds 24 cents per hour to paraprofessional pay using state funding. Trustee Dr. Gutierrez abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest.
The board also approved a tentative agreement with the Milan Education Association (MEA), which includes salary adjustments, benefit updates and compensation for programs such as unified sports and a building trades student organization.
“I’m glad that we finally got to this point,” McMahon said.
Trustees Andrew Cislo and Michelle Heika abstained from that vote due to conflicts of interest.
The board also approved an updated salary schedule for district directors adding an assistant director position for the Paddock Early Childhood Center. Trustees appointed Dr. Kelly Gobrogge to the role.
McMahon said the district secured state preschool grant funding to support the new position.
“We were able to secure grant funds under GSRP,” McMahon said. “Other districts were doing the same thing and had assistant directors covered under those grant funds.”
PAC Members Discuss Communication with Families
Andrea Bennink and Sarah Norton provided an update on the Washtenaw Intermediate School District Parent Advisory Committee (PAC).
Bennink said PAC members recently met with Dr. Heidi Phelps, the district’s director of student services, and Superintendent Ryan McMahon to discuss communication with families of students receiving special education services.
“We had a really wonderful collaborative meeting,” Bennink said. “It was a really nice getting-to-know-you time with Dr. Phelps.”
The group also reviewed a special education guidebook for families and discussed adding more information to the district website.
Early Childhood Program Continues to Grow
Earlier in the meeting, Paddock Early Childhood Center Executive Director Jessi Kishiyama shared an update on the district’s early childhood programs.
Kishiyama said the center serves 170 young children and more than 100 students in before- and after-school care programs.
Enrollment in the district’s four-year-old preschool program has grown quickly since Michigan expanded access to universal preschool.
“We’ve gone from 36 students to 82 students in the past three years,” Kishiyama said.
“Early childhood gets cast a little bit as just daycare. But the learning that happens in these early years is incredibly important.”
Kishiyama said about 80 to 85 percent of brain development happens before age three.
“These interactions and teaching that are happening, even with our little babies, are crucial to future learning,” she said.
She also highlighted Milan’s move to fully inclusive preschool classrooms, where students with disabilities learn alongside their peers.
“We are actually the only district in Washtenaw County that has fully dissolved our self-contained preschool special education classrooms,” Kishiyama said. “We are completely full inclusion.”
Policy Updates Approved
The board also approved updates to district policies, including removing the requirement that speakers provide their address during public comment.
Trustees also updated district policy to list Heidi Phelps, director of student services, as the district’s Title IX and Section 504 coordinator.
Public Comments and District Updates
During public comment, one resident raised concerns about bullying and harassment involving students.
Another resident thanked the district’s theater program and encouraged the community to attend upcoming performances.
District administrators also shared updates on spring parent-teacher conferences, literacy programs and staff training.
McMahon reported that the district’s annual Michigan State Police inspection of school buses found no issues.
Featured photo: From left, Faro, McMahon and Gutierrez listen during the meeting. Photo by Heather Finch
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
