District in need of drivers

Like many other school districts across the state, St. Marys City Schools is in need of bus drivers.

“This has been a shortage before the year started but the pandemic has amplified our need for drivers,” Superintendent Bill Ruane said. “I think it’s no secret that we need them. There have been signs up around town for the past two years urging people to sign up to be a bus driver or a substitute driver.”

Underscoring the need for qualified bus drivers, the St. Marys school board approved a resolution authorizing a bus driver stipend to district employees who are licensed to drive buses but are not employed to do so regularly. Ruane explained that certified employees were being pulled from their regular duties to drive bus routes when they were needed. These employees included secretaries, administrators and even Transportation Supervisor Dan Grothause.

“They’re trained and certified, obviously, but we’re having to take away from what they do every day and are putting more and more on their plate,” Ruane added. “We’ll only do this when we’re in a pinch so we don’t have to cancel school because of a lack of transportation but it did

happen a few times before Thanksgiving. This resolution would just get these people the pay they deserve for stepping in as a substitute driver.”

Qualifications to be a bus driver include: Having at least two years of driving experience or meet local board policy age requirements; Obtaining an annual physical examination and a drug and alcohol test; Passing an annual driver record check; Possessing a Commercial Driver License (CDL) and school bus driver certification by the district; Passing a criminal background check and completion of preservice and inservice training resulting in certification by the Ohio Department of Education.

Applications for substitute bus drivers can be found at SMRiders.net/ClassifiedJobOpenings.

“If we don’t have bus drivers, we can’t get kids to school,” Ruane concluded.

In other business conducted by the SMCSD Board of Education, a pair of resolutions were approved that grant district Treasurer Andy Wilker authority to act on behalf of the district to make financial decisions on issuing bonds, not to exceed $14.31 million, for the purpose of advance refunding of all or a portion of the district’s bonds.

“We’re still not saying we’re making the financial investment for another month or month and a half,” explained Wilker. “We wanted to get the resolution out tonight so I can send that off to the bond council so they can start working on it first thing in the morning. We’re in the process of working on the

position statement right now that is a lengthy, 60-page document that covers the economic activity of the area and things of that nature.”

The bond process is approximately a 10- week process and the district has up until the last week or two of that time frame to decide if it will go through with refinancing the bonds if it makes financial sense at the time.

In further business, the school board:

• Heard updates from board committees and administrators.

• Heard from Intermediate School Princi

pal Lisa Elson and Primary School Principal Sue Sherman that the younger students are looking to participate in a Light up the Night for Joint Township District Memorial Hospital at 6 p.m. on Dec. 16. The event looks to raise spirits and show support for hospital employees faced with challenges from the pandemic.

• Approved numerous personnel items.

• Accepted donations of $200 in memory of Nancy Elston for general student needs and $639.31 from Buffalo Wild Wings for the athletic department.