Bus Issues Top Meeting
By Doug La Rocque
Not much was said about the recent school bus route changes at the Tuesday, September 17 meeting of the Berlin Central School Board until it was time for public comment. It was then that a number of issues were brought up. One parent rose to say their child was still on a bus after 4 pm. Others said their children were not being picked up until after the time classes were to start. District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Young said they were aware of these problems and some changes were made, in particular, making the morning pickup 10 minutes earlier so students would be on time. He also indicated the earlier pickups were allowing children who wish to partake in the breakfast program the opportunity to do so. Dr. Young further stated some of these problems “need time to iron themselves out.” Board President Frank Zwack spoke up, indicating parents can help by making sure their children are ready for the bus, claiming he followed a bus recently that had to wait several minutes for students not yet ready to board.
There was a complaint about a senior student harassing a sixth grader. The parent who spoke said the student was removed from the bus, but quickly allowed back on, and that her child has experienced several problems as a result of this, including declining grades. The school administrators promised to look into the matter. Another parent was concerned about the impact the changes were making on her special needs child and asked if things could not be put back the way they were, at least as far as this child was concerned.
Two bus drivers spoke to the Board, indicating that combining the afternoon runs was costing them on average about 15 hours of pay every two weeks, or $750 to $1000 a month. They expressed concern that some drivers may not get enough hours to continue to qualify for health insurance, to which Dr. Young replied emphatically, “no one is going to lose their health insurance.” The District is currently short of drivers and the two speakers wondered how it could successfully recruit more personnel, when the hours offered are below that of many other districts in the area.
The Senior Trip
Senior class Advisor Karen Day informed the Board planning for the annual trip was a bit behind schedule, because of some questions about possible changes the Board wanted to make in relation to these trips. The Board had concerns about some of the planning components relating to last year’s trip, and wanted to assure that costs were kept under control. The type of housing planned, as well as the mode of transportation came into play here, as expressed by Board member Kellie Kaschak. Ms. Day replied they had worked hard to keep the cost in the $400 to $450 range.
Timing of the trip was another concern. How many school days would the students miss? Typically, past trips had taken students out of classes for two days, something Dr. Young said he did not see a problem with, considering the trips are required to have an educational component to them.
Another Capital Project
Board President Zwack indicated he would like to have his fellow board members consider another capital project at the Board’s October Roundtable meeting. He suggested there were some items that were left out of the current capital project and some facility-related needs to addressed. He stressed these would not cost the taxpayers anything in new taxes, as the District already has the funds to pay for them. He is hoping for a possible December vote on the proposals.
Work approved by these previous capital projects is underway at both schools, as evidenced by the growing mountain of dirt outside the Jr./Sr. High School. It is work inside that building that will relocate some administrators, including Dr. Young. His office is being converted into classroom space, so outside into a trailer he goes until his new office can be completed.
Other Action
Thursday, September 19 was the last day students who had not yet received all their required vaccinations would be allowed to attend school. New York State changed the rules this year, eliminating religious and some medical exemptions.
The New Lebanon School District Sports Program has invited Berlin students to their homecoming events this year, and according to Board President Zwack, Berlin intends to reciprocate. The two schools have merged most of the sports programs, and according to Mr. Zwack, it is working nicely, and the students from both schools are getting along very well.