To improve the transportation system for students who must ride the bus to and from school, the Churchill County School District Board received a report last week during their regular board meeting on a new system that will be used to simplify transportation for families and district staff.
Transportation Supervisor Natasha Domes presented information about the StopFinder app which will be used with the Transfinder routing software to provide real-time information to parents about their child’s bus schedule. Through the program, alerts will be sent to parents if for some reason the bus changes, if the bus driver changes, or if the bus is running late (See "App Advances ChurchillSD Student Transportation)".
Currently, there are 18 bus routes and 18 drivers, a bonus in a department that for several years has experienced bus driver shortages. There are also four monitors, five sub-drivers, and four staff drivers. During the first few weeks of school, the district will have a standby bus ready to pick up overflow on routes if buses reach capacity, and ongoing evaluation regarding the number of students and route adjustments will be made based on student load. Two routes have been added this year for routes that had the largest number of riders last year.
In other business, Superintendent Derild Parsons reported that the district that a Job Fair was held on July 19 as the district continued with hiring and recruitment efforts; before the fair, there were 43 positions open within the school district. If you missed the Job Fair and are interested in more information about a position with the district you can contact the district at 775.423.5184 or https://www.applitrack.com/churchill/onlineapp/default.aspx
A written report was provided by Human Resources Manager Annette Cooper regarding the Exit Survey from the 2022-23 school year. The district had 33 employees resign or retire at the end of the school year, 14 of whom provided information about their experience working for the district. According to the report, “While they had concerns, they were hopeful for the future and the changes ahead.”
Common among all respondents was a concern regarding salary, lack of communication, and the lack of mutual respect between staff members. “Respondents often framed this lack of mutual respect by stating that they did not feel safe.” During the interviews, it was understood that safety meant professionally safe as opposed to bodily safety.
Cooper said she has worked with Parsons and Assistant Superintendent Stacey Cooper to determine that communication is a focus point within the district and support will be provided as an ongoing process.
The board also approved the hiring of Kathryn Bervin-Mueller as the Director of Learning and Innovation. She has a wide variety of experience, serving as a Charter School Principal and the Principal at the Willow Springs Center, a residential treatment center for youth, serving students from 12 to 17 years of age. Parsons said she also has experience working with Medicaid and will assist the district in getting that system set up to benefit students, and has experience working with data, and speaks several languages.
Assistant Superintendent Cooper presented information about the Behavior Review and the status of behavior reporting. She found three concerns including incorrect categorization of behaviors within Infinite Campus, making it difficult to extract accurate data for analysis and reporting; major behavior events in Infinite Campus were left open, in progress, or unresolved; and disciplinary review procedures unknown and inconsistent at various school sites.
Cooper also explained two recent legislative changes that impact the district in how behavior issues are handled, including AB285 which targets language and responsibility with restorative justice, and AB330 which correlates restorative justice language into behavior plans. Adjustments from these changes include revisions for student placement, including the removal of students from instructional settings.
During her report, Cooper presented information about behavior events at district schools during the 2022-23 school year. There were 239 major behavior events at the high school with 160 students and 32 staff involved. There were 631 minor events. At the middle school, there were 816 major behavior events with 339 students and 50 staff involved. There were 3,127 minor behavior events.
The Fallon Post will continue to provide coverage of the behavioral plan process.
The School Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.
Comment
Comments