Policy shift is proposed

FORT RECOVERY — With an eye on student safety, superintendent Justin Firks is proposing transportation policy changes.

Firks on Monday presented Fort Recovery School Board with his proposal, which would require consistent pick-up and drop-off locations amongst other changes.

He also discussed school maintenance and summer projects with the board.

The proposed transportation procedure includes the following:

•Establishing permanent pick up and drop off points for each student. (The pick up and drop off points may be different from each other, but may not change based on the day of the week.) The last day to make changes to busing prior to the school year would be 9 a.m. Aug. 20.

•Parents who have shared parenting would be allowed to have their child picked up and dropped off at both addresses, as long as a consistent schedule is established.

•With 48 hours notice (weekends not included) students would be permitted to get off at a different stop on their route. (Students would not be allowed to ride a bus other than the one to which they are assigned.)

•In cases of emergency situations, the superintendent or transportation coordinator would be able to authorize exceptions.

Firks is also suggesting that parents fill out a bus use form each year in order to better track whether students will continue to ride. He said doing so will allow for better record keeping and potentially more efficient bus routes.

“In my mind, it has student safety as our number one priority,” said Firks. “It’s trying to get some consistency on our transportation routes.”

Fort Recovery’s current busing procedure allows students to ride any bus and get off at any location by turning in a “purple pass,” which can be handed to the bus driver upon boarding. That procedure can make it difficult to track students and make sure they are getting to the correct locations, Firks said. He gave one example of such an instance this winter when a kindergarten student who had a “purple pass” inadvertently got off of the bus at the incorrect location. 

Firks told the board he developed the proposed policy by looking at those from other area schools. He said the only district that runs its transportation similarly to Fort Recovery’s current system is Marion Local.

“The big thing is the 48-hour notice,” said Firks. “We’re flexible. We work with people. Emergencies come up. But to bring a purple pass on a Friday and say ‘I’ve got 20 friends coming to my house for a party,’ that’s not … conducive to running an effective transportation department.”

Board president Greg LeFevre asked if there is software available that would make on-the-fly bus changes easier to track. Firks responded that the school district uses Traverse for its routes but he is not sure if that program offers such an option.

Firks requested the board members review the proposed procedure with hopes of voting on it at the March 18 meeting. 

Also Monday, Firks discussed plans for school maintenance with board members Mike Grube, Mitch Ervin, Jose Faller, Nick Wehrkamp and LeFevre.

Projects for this summer will include installation of a new track at Barrenbrugge Athletic Park, refinishing of gym floors and trimming trees in front of the elementary/middle school. He noted that carbon monoxide detectors have already been installed at both school buildings.

He also brought up the possibility of adding a maintenance storage building, either attached to or nearby the bus garage, and a generator for the high school to provide power during outages. He noted the need for the building not only for storage purposes because the bus garage does not have running water, a restroom or heat. The board asked him to get initial quotes for both the building and the generator.

Administrators are also looking at adding a couple of pieces of playground equipment at the elementary/middle school.

In other business, the board:

•Honored members of the swim team for their accomplishments this season and Caleb Evers for being selected to the Ohio Music Education Association Honors Band.

•Accepted the retirements of Donna Bates, Rebecca Link and Carol Ranly, effective at the end of the school year.

•Heard from elementary school principal Tracy Evers-Westgerdes that 80 students have signed up for kindergarten for the 2019-20 school year. She noted that because there are several students who qualify, the school is considering adding a special needs classroom next year. (This year, a special needs classroom is housed at Coldwater.)

She also noted that preschool registration will be 7 p.m. March 26.

•Learned from high school principal Bill Overla that the school is using the Edmentum program to help identify student weaknesses and improve those skills. He said the idea came from Miami East, which has had success using the program.

•Approved the following: Monika Johnson as a substitute bus driver; a one-year contract with Healthy Lawns for maintenance of the football, baseball, softball and practice fields; and a one-year contract with Jutte’s Landscaping for mowing.

•Brought up a variety of issues, including the need for cross country runners to wear reflective clothing if practicing on roads; the possibility of picking up the cost of the pupil activity permit for volunteer coaches; frequency of publication of the Fort Site Journal; the elimination of open house events; paying the annual dues for National Honor Society members; and the desire to support local businesses. They also discussed the need to move or remove some items, including the basketball court, sand volleyball pit, playground equipment and picnic tables, when the baseball field project moves forward.

•Accepted more than $2,500 in donations, including $2,000 from Honda for the school’s LEGO League team.

•Approved a field trip for the academic bowl team for May 24 through 27 to the National Academic Championship in New Orleans. The team qualified for the event by winning the Midwest Athletic Conference championship.