LH enters transportation contract
The Laurel Highlands School Board entered into a three-year transportation contract that includes a fuel escalation clause at the monthly August business meeting Thursday. M&R Transportation of Uniontown provides “special” transportation services for the district for special needs students or those needing bused to schools not within the district, such as alternative schools, school district officials explained.
Gary Frankhouser, solicitor for the district, said that the district was paying roughly $3.25 per gallon of fuel. He explained that if the cost of gasoline rises above $3.45 per gallon, the district and M&R will share the cost equally as part of the agreement.
By entering into the agreement, the board agreed to pay the following price increases: $17.75 to $18.75 per student transported, a $1 more by the end of the agreement; $187.50 to $198.92 per out-of-county van, an additional $11.42 per van by the end of the deal; and $140 to $148.53 per in-county lift van per day, an additional $8.53 per day with no extra charge per student.
Under the contract, the emergency student pick-up charge will remain at $20 for the life of the deal as will a $50 charge to transport parents to and from meetings.
The district has agreed to pay $30 per day or $7.15 per hour plus employer expenses for a van aide and $75 per day per van for additional transportation to a school when the district requests it.
The district also has agreed to pay $75 per day to transport students who are homeless or in an emergency situation in a separate van. The district will pay the per-student charge if student is transported to a location near a district school.
In other business, the board agreed to seek quotes from surveying companies, one of which board members plan to hire to produce a plot plan for the high school.
Craig McKee, the district’s director of buildings and grounds, said at Tuesday’s work session that Eckles Architecture and Engineering of New Castle asked for the plan and a current one was not available.
The board hired Eckles in April to produce a district-wide feasibility study as an initial step before renovating the high school. McKee noted the firm is trying to stay within a timeline to complete the feasibility study.
The board also:
– Announced the district’s second community strategic planning meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 in the middle school. Jessica Scott, strategic planning supervisor, urged members of the community to attend. She also said they can sign up to become a member of a committee focused on a specific area of the plan.
– Authorized Frankhouser to proceed with the necessary court approvals that will permit Rich Barron, head of security for the school district, to carry weapons for which he is trained and certified to carry. The weapons include a gun and pepper spray, Frankhouser said.
– Announced the school district bus schedule for the 2008-09 school year will be posted on the district’s Web site at www.lhsd.org.
– Granted permission for Jason Dunham to attend a Student Assistance Training (SAP) program in October at a cost of $350 plus accommodations and for a team of four SAP members to attend training in Pittsburgh in the fall at the same cost per participant. The conferences are to be paid by a Safe & Drug Free Schools grant.
– Selected Richard Bierbower as assistant varsity football coach at the suggestion of head coach Jack Buehner.
– Agreed to purchase new boys soccer uniforms. The district’s business manager Greg Hensh said the uniforms will cost $3,000. School officials said the old uniforms were obsolete.
– Assigned Joshua DuBois as volunteer coach for the girls high school soccer team.
– Set the stipend of the football game physician at $900 for the 2007-08 school year, a $150 increase over the previous year. The physician will attend to players during the district’s home football games.
– Accepted an offer from Great American Plan Administrators of Cincinnati, Ohio. Hensh said 4,000 school districts use the service. The group will oversee new 403B regulations introduced by the IRS. The regulations will be effective in January 2009.
Hensh said at a work session Tuesday that while there is no initial cost to participate, the program will be reassessed when the two-year agreement expires.
Hensh explained that the 403B plan is a similar version of the 401K, but is available to government and non-profit employees.
– Accepted the resignation of Virginia Abbey and Rachelle Vavrek as paraprofessionals and the resignation of Carl Belle, a custodian at the middle school. Belle has eight years of service with the school district.