School board to vote on changing bus ‘age’ date

At their next meeting on Dec. 21, the Brown County School Board of Trustees will vote on a change to one of the stipulations for bidding bus routes.

Superintendent Laura Hammack said the district’s transportation department and a school board member were approached about changing how the age of a bus is calculated.

Currently, the age of the bus is determined by when it was manufactured. The proposed change would calculate the age based on the date of the title. When a bus is 12 years old, it has to be retired and a new bus must be purchased, Hammack said.

“There is no harm on the bus, because the bus wasn’t being driven during the time it was not in use, so the title date really makes sense,” Hammack said.

Board member Steve Miller Jr. agreed. He said he had heard from a contractor who would have to buy a new bus by Jan. 1 if going by the manufacture date.

If the stipulation was changed to calculating the age by the title date, that contractor would have another six months before he would have to purchase a bus, he said.

Hammack said any bus drivers or community members who had questions about the proposed stipulations are welcome to reach out before the next meeting.

School board approves extending administrator contracts

The Brown County School Board of Trustees approved the following Dec. 7:

• A maternity leave request for Molly Koontz beginning approximately Jan. 23, 2018 and last through the end of the school year.
• Extending current contracts by one year for the following administrators: Brown County High School Principal Shane Killinger, Brown County Junior High School Principal Brian Garman, Brown County Intermediate School Principal Trent Austin, Sprunica Elementary Principal Abbie Oliver, Helmsburg Elementary Principal Kelli Bruner, Van Buren Elementary Principal Gavin Steele, BCHS Assistant Principal Charles Hutchins, BCJHS Assistant Principal Greg Pagnard, BCIS Assistant Principal Thor Davis, Director of Student Learning Deborah Harman, District Readiness Coordinator Christy Wrightsman and BCHS Athletic Director Mark Bruner. Extending the contracts is an annual action, Superintendent Laura Hammack said.
• The 2018-2019 school calendar. See more on that in a separate story in the Dec. 20 paper.
• Spending $225,000 from the bus replacement fund on two buses and equipment.
• The 2018 Brown County Career Resource Center budget. See more on that in a separate story in the Dec. 20 paper.
• Separating Brown County Schools transportation special needs bus driver Chelsea Tafur, effective Jan. 8. This was not a termination.
• Separating BCHS assistant cheer coach Dustin Robinson, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
• Appointing BCS special education bus driver Mark Smith, full-time with benefits, $91 a day, effective Nov. 27. He is a replacement for Sandra Taylor.
• Appointing BCS special education bus monitor Michelle Hatchett, part-time with no benefits, $10.50 an hour, effective Nov. 27. This is a new position.
• Appointing SES language facilitator Haley Downs, full-time with benefits, $15.25 per hour, 180 days, effective Jan. 8. This is a new position to meet the needs of a student.
• Appointing SES science teacher Karen Kirby, full-time with benefits, $19,812.72, master’s level 1, effective Jan. 8. She is a replacement for Brenda Krieger.
• Appointing BCHS custodian Thomas G. Bartlett, part-time without benefits, $11.25 per hour, not to exceed 28 hours per week, effective Dec. 8. This is a new position created to offset overtime costs.