School board will not change age requirement
The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees will not reopen the current bus driver contract to change a requirement that restricts the ages of drivers.
“That contract was set for four years, and opening a contract causes a lot of other issues and concerns. We, in good faith and in good business, we have to let the contract stand as it was presented,” board President Carol Bowden said Feb. 6.
At the Jan. 16 meeting, 80-year-old retired school bus driver Kenny Roberts asked the school board to alter the corporation’s bus contract and remove a specification require drivers retire at 80.
Roberts retired as a bus driver after more than 50 years of driving students back and forth to school in Brown County. He asked the board to remove the specification so that he could substitute for his wife who is currently a bus driver in the district.
Roberts said other surrounding school districts do not have that age limit specification in their school bus contracts. “Isn’t that discriminating against us older people?” he asked.
This is the second contract in which the age limit has been included.
Superintendent Laura Hammack said Jan. 16 that the bus contract for 2020-2024 could be altered and reaffirmed if the board wanted to change their position on the age limit specification, which requires drivers to be at least 21 years old and no older than 80.
School board approves policy updates, field trips
The Brown County School Board of Trustees approved the following at their Feb. 6 meeting:
- The adoption of various NEOLA policy updates.
- The transfer of Sprunica Elementary School paraprofessional Matthew Owens from part-time without benefits to full-time with benefits, effective Jan. 21. Owens was previously a full-time employee, but asked that he be reduced to part-time status due to medical reasons. He is now able to work full-time again, Superintendent Laura Hammack said.
- A request for Brown County High School show choirs Rhapsody and Serenade to attend a competition at Olentangy High School in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 21 to 23.
- A request for Brown County Intermediate School to travel to Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky, May 14.
- A maternity leave request for SES preschool teacher Anastasia Petro beginning approximately Feb. 24 for eight to 12 weeks. Long-term substitute Daisha Holt was appointed to replace her during her leave, $17.75 per hour, effective approximately Feb. 21.
- A $500 donation to Helmsburg Elementary School for unpaid lunch balances from HNF Electric.
- A contract with Therapy Source for the delivery of speech and language services not to exceed 15 days, six-and-a-half hours per day, $70 per hour, during the leave of Christina Cook.
- Separating Van Buren Elementary School Math Bowl sponsor Michelle Wagers, effective Jan. 23. This was not a termination.
- Separating Brown County Schools bus driver Brian Faulkner, effective Jan. 28. This was not a termination.
- Appointing SES third-grade teacher Megan Purlee, bachelor’s degree, Level H, $44,125, with 14 years of experience, full-time with benefits, effective Jan. 27. She is a replacement for Johanna Weinzapfel.
- Appointing SES long-term substitute teacher Bev Hartz, $228.26 per day, effective approximately April 4 until the end of the 2019-2020 school year. She is a temporary replacement for Alyson Hanus.
- Appointing SES high ability coach Alyson Hanus, $1,113 stipend, effective Jan. 27. She is a replacement for Johanna Weinzapfel.
- Appointing Brown County Junior High School assistant wrestling coach Jacob Moore, $1,342 stipend, effective Feb. 5. He is a replacement for Dave Chastain.
