By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci had discouraging news about the district’s ongoing bus driver shortage.
Last school year, the district had a consistent shortage of seven drivers. That “forced our operations manager, two mechanics, our operations secretary and our courier to drive each day,” Scruci said in his remarks at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. Even with those workers pressed into service, it meant two routes could not be covered. The district rotated those routes to spread out the inconvenience of having no bus service.
Director of Transportation Toby Snow has been trying to recruit more drivers and to find a way to consolidate routes. Neither of those efforts are going well, Scruci said.
So, he said, at the board’s July meeting, he expects to ask the board to change its bus transportation area from one mile from school to two miles. That, he said, will eliminate five routes leaving the district still short two drivers.
“This is certainly not something we’d like to do, but may be forced to recommend,” he said.
It is especially important that the operations secretary be able to remain in the office to answers calls from parents, he said.
Schools throughout the area and state have the same problem.
As soon as the district is able to bring on enough drivers the boundaries will return to one mile.
Parent Steve Bateson suggested the district offer retention bonuses as is done in the commercial trucking industry. This may help keep drivers, he said, “so we don’t have this constant flux.”
Board acts on new high school funding
The board moved ahead Tuesday with placing a bond on the November ballot to fund the construction of a new high school.
The board adopted a resolution declaring an income tax and bond issue were necessary to finance the $70 million project.
A second resolution requested permission from the state to ask voters to approve bonds not to exceed $49 million and to allow the district to issue those bonds. And that it needs to get voter approval.
The board decided three weeks ago to pay for 70 percent of the project with property tax and 30 percent income tax.
[RELATED: BG School Board votes to put split property/income tax on fall ballot for new high school]
Referee rules against Dallas Black
The board voted to accept the findings of a state referee who presided over the disciplinary hearings for former teacher Dallas Black.
The district had terminated Black in July over misuse of personal days, violations of board policy in regards to e-mail use, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, insubordination, conduct unbecoming of a teacher, and violations of the licensure code. Black challenged that dismissal.
The nine hearings – the last of which Black did not attend – were held from Oct. 25 through April 19. The hearings were, per Black’s request open to the public including over Zoom.
Black argued that his emails were protected under the First Amendment. The state referee, Lee Belardo, ruled: “The First Amendment does not provide blanket protection for Mr. Black’s unbridled and invective speech.”
In every instance, the referee ruled, the district had “good and just cause to terminate” Black’s contract.
Handbook eases up on some sports sanctions
Athletic director Michele Wolf also gave a report on changes to the student handbook. The trend is to give student athletes who have violated the code lesser penalties and additional chances in most cases.
Students suspended from competition will be allowed to continue training with their teammates. This allows coaches to continue working with them.
Students violating the substance abuse policy will be required to take a district approve rehabilitation program.
Mental health is an important concern, Wolf said. “We don’t want to take the position of writing these kids off if they’re struggling with substance abuse.”
Also, students who are struggling to maintain the required “C” average will be put on academic probation and have to meet regularly with Wolf and submit their grades. For many students a “C” is the best grade they can manage. Wolf said while this takes more “maintenance” it will give students’ added incentive to maintain their grades.
District will return to paid lunches
The federal waiver allowing the school district to provide free meals to all students regardless of family income is expiring, reported Food Service Director Tabitha Hiler-Young. “Schools will be returning back to paid lunches.”
None of the schools in the district qualified for community free lunches.
Every parent or guardian will fill out an application for free and reduced after July 1.
