To attract and retain bus drivers, the Springfield School District board of education approved an incentive program.
At the September 11 meeting, Superintendent Matt Geha recommended the incentive package, noting that Springfield, like other schools in the area, are having difficulty finding and keeping bus drivers.
The hiring incentive program encourages district employees to refer a driver candidate.
If the candidate completes training and is hired as a fulltime route driver prior to December 20 and works through the end of the 2024-25 school year, the referring employee will receive $500 after June 1.
If a candidate is hired between January 1 and April 1, 2025 and works through the end of the school year, the referring employee will receive $250 after June 1.
The provisions of the program expire at midnight April 2, 2025, Geha said.
Personnel
The school board took action on a number of personnel matters as recommended by the superintendent.
They approved one-year contracts for Charles Stambaugh, 4.25 hour bus driver; Jodi Berndt, Holloway 4 hour food service; Laila Jones-Rodgers, SHS 4 hour night custodian; and Christina Garcia, SHS 3.5 hour food service.
Changes in assignment were authorized for Amanda Williams, from Dorr 3.5 hour food service to Holland 2.5 hour recess monitor, and Deborah Covault, from Dorr 2 hour recess monitor to 3.5 hour food service.
Pupil activity contracts were issued for Tyler Haughawout, SHS varsity boys volleyball coach, and David Whitmire, SHS varsity boys baseball coach.
The board accepted resignations from Marianne Baker, substitute teacher; Anthony Burroughs, Dorr recess monitor, and Jodi Berndt, Holloway food service.
They also authorized resignations for substitute teachers who have not returned their contract for 2024-25. They are Brandon Avalos, Nicolas Benya, Tarrah Beyster, Breanna Burditt, Freda Drake, Anthony Gillen, Michael Kaucher, Melanie Kempton, Justin Key, Brittney Lemke, Trey Materni, Emily Mueller, Susan Muller, Joscelin Reineke, John Scott, Amanda Wiles and Ayah Younes.
Substitute teaching contracts were awarded to Rebecca Brown and Dazhane Frazier.
Awarded classified substitute contracts were Mary Dwyer, lunch/recess monitor; Laila Jones-Rodgers, custodian, and DeJuan Hague, bus aide.
The board also approved supplemental contracts for Beth Barrow, Sara Beamer, Erick Brock, Erin Brock, Karma Cook, Abigail Dalton, Mark Davidson, Kelly Deisher, Kristy DiSalle, Barb Eckhart, Steve Elliott, Cory Fritch, Courtney (Jan) Gibson, Julie Ingram, Karrie Jimenez, Kelly Kahmann, Natalie Kalo, Bradley Kerns, Kelly Kerns, Bradley Konrad, Jeff Lowery, Sarah Ludwig, Jennifer Mercer, Nicole Metzger, Julie Meyer, Linda Mohr, Anjanette Newcombe, Diane O’Hearn, Judith Perino, Marty Perlaky, Carrie Pratt, Angela Reynolds, Jamie Riley, Nichol Riston, Lauren Rudnicki, Liza Runyan, Amanda Schlageter, Andrew Screptock, Kim Simon, Grant Toepfer-Gaver, Holly Thomas, Sarah Vaughn, Kristine Walter, Shanda Wright and Hallie Wright-Comes.
Other Business
In other business, the school board:
•Authorized appropriations for the 2024-25 school year of $58.65 million.
•Approved job descriptions for the multi-tiered system of support chair and speech and language pathologist mentor.
•Entered into a memorandum of understanding between the district and Vital Health for support services relating to mental and behavioral health.
•Approved a purchase order of $3,238 to Beyond Behavioral Healthcare LLC for student placement.
•Approved the program cost agreement between the district and the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West.
•Received an update on the maintenance and care of district grounds and buildings from Dustin Hamilton, facilities and maintenance director.
•Approved one request to attend a professional development seminar.
Entered into executive session, but took no action afterward.
The next board of education meeting will be at 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, October 9, in the meeting room at the administration building, 6924 Spring Valley Drive, Holland, and is open to the public.
~Jane Maiolo
