tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post6850447336841037738..comments2023-06-24T10:52:34.846-04:00Comments on EducateHilliard.com: Supplemental Materials for the September 9, 2013 School Board MeetingPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-15751431982535277132013-09-17T11:56:47.543-04:002013-09-17T11:56:47.543-04:00I was mistaken in my last comment. The Board polic...I was mistaken in my last comment. The Board policy <a href="http://www.hilliardschools.org/board/policy/EEA_StudentTransportationServices.pdf" rel="nofollow">EEA</a> and the Ohio law is written broadly enough to allow the Administration to make decisions with Board approval, which is what they'll be seeking at the next Board meeting, on Sept 23.<br /><br />Anyone with an opinion on this matter should contact me or another Board member before the meeting, or address us at the meeting.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-36931340225223191862013-09-16T11:50:02.269-04:002013-09-16T11:50:02.269-04:00My Board colleagues agreed to forward the proposal...My Board colleagues agreed to forward the proposal to the Policy Review Committee for their consideration, and I've made my concerns known. We'll see what they come back with. Note that if it comes back as an amendment to policy, there will be three public 'readings' before enacted, giving everyone a chance to give the Board input.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-12736221138191811182013-09-16T08:22:21.351-04:002013-09-16T08:22:21.351-04:00Paul, on further study it would appear that the bu...Paul, on further study it would appear that the bus routes with the most potential for savings under this recommendation would be the lunch time routes for kindergarten students. I suspect there are a large number of routes in the district where there are less than 20 kids on the buses at that time of day.<br /><br />Cutting these routes would be a significant misstep by the district because it would affect our less affluent members of the community significantly. Those are the ones without the means to provide their own transportation for their young children. $250 would be an insult to those people.<br /><br />The more I look at this, the more I think we cannot have such a blanket policy. I suspect more time will be taken up by discussing this policy, and discussing each route that the district recommends is cut, than will be saved.<br /><br />Frankly, we are penny-pinching here, when what we should be doing is spending this time targeting the real costs,such as those high school classes you note above.Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-76842204185816748262013-09-11T15:40:58.724-04:002013-09-11T15:40:58.724-04:00The reduction in cost is caused by reducing occasi...The reduction in cost is caused by reducing occasions when bus drivers had to just sit around and wait to begin their next route (e.g. when you see an empty bus with driver sitting in some shopping center parking lot). With the new schedule, drivers will generally proceed directly from the completion of one route to the start of the next. Same number of routes and route-miles, just less idle time, which costs money since the drivers are paid by the hours.<br /><br />I appreciate the transportation guys figured out this opportunity and recommended action. It's one of many ways that our Operations team constantly works to eliminate cost when possible. They could just as easily sit on their hands and let the opportunities pass, and no one would know...Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-4329287131294687832013-09-11T12:38:09.738-04:002013-09-11T12:38:09.738-04:00Paul,
Just saw an article in This Week. "Di...Paul,<br /><br />Just saw an article in This Week. "District start times save $74k. OK, I will bite. We are going to spend $74 less but we want to cut some bus transportation. I always take a 2nd look when we say save, as I think it means spend less.<br /><br />What happened other than change of bells to be able to cut cost. With so little change in the district (other than traffic circles that some board members and Dale complained about) why did we just know find a way to save??? <br /><br />DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-71116638429914790042013-09-11T11:24:20.417-04:002013-09-11T11:24:20.417-04:00"If less than 20 children sign up for a class...<em>"If less than 20 children sign up for a class, should we drop the class?"</em><br /><br />I think we may need to have exactly that conversation in the coming months. We offer over 300 courses in our high school catalog, and schedule about 230 of them in any given year. Each one of those classes need to have a teacher leading them, so the more sections, the more teachers, and the lower the student-teacher ratio.<br /><br />I'm not proposing a sudden cutback in programming, only that we need to have a strategic conversation about this, and use it to guide our hiring as teachers retire in the coming years.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-6527590915659465372013-09-11T10:39:20.237-04:002013-09-11T10:39:20.237-04:00Paul,
I support both types of intervention. I ha...Paul,<br /><br />I support both types of intervention. I have seen many examples of how engaged the staff is with learning issues. It should be the base and one of the last things to be on the block. Sports or intervention, I pick intervention 100% of the time.<br /><br />Transportation is safe when in bus. If parents wish to not have bus transportation then they own it, their choice. If you are running a school, you need to have buses to get them to and from.<br /><br />If less than 20 children sign up for a class, should we drop the class? We should be more focused on what we must provide and in a effective and efficient manner. Transportation is a required IMHO<br /><br />DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-62201558644459715452013-09-10T11:39:08.931-04:002013-09-10T11:39:08.931-04:00Dave: "Intervention" is being used in tw...Dave: "Intervention" is being used in two different contexts here. One use is when one refers to the special attention a student will receive due to learning difficulties. The other is the case your speaking of here - when students need emotional support after some tragic event, as with Elijah's death.<br /><br />You make a point I've made before when there has been discussion about cutting busing. Our kids are safest when being transported on one of our buses, and at the most risk when there are multiple kids in a private car being driven by a high school student.<br /><br />But when I raised this point, I learned something else - only about half the high school kids who are eligible for transportation actually ride the buses. Many of the kids who can drive and have access to a car go that route - just check out how many cars are in the student parking sections at our high schools.<br /><br />Some high school kids are driven by their parents for other reasons. We drove our kids to/from high school because they would have otherwise spent an hour on the bus - each way - because we live out in Brown Twp (this was before Bradley was built).<br /><br />I suspect other parents drive their kids because their kids find the busing experience unpleasant, for a variety of reasons. School can be a tough place for some kids, and buses one of the tougher places.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-84337602339675792642013-09-10T11:29:44.206-04:002013-09-10T11:29:44.206-04:00Steve: I asked that the matter be forwarded to the...Steve: I asked that the matter be forwarded to the Policy Review committee for their consideration, which I believe is the appropriate legislative route since we already have a transportation policy. This means the issue will be discussed by representatives of both the Board and the Administration, then brought forward to the Board via three readings before action is taken. This gives the public three opportunities to be heard on the matter before it could become formal policy.<br /><br />Community members who feel strongly about this policy need to come forward and address the Board.<br /><br />Good question about whether we receive ADM dollars for such students. I'll ask.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-9111792657914716172013-09-10T10:51:42.080-04:002013-09-10T10:51:42.080-04:00Paul,
Most monday nights I meet several friends a...Paul,<br /><br />Most monday nights I meet several friends at a local eating establishment. One of those who attended is a teacher. The look on her face told me something was wrong. This is the second time she has had this look this school year.<br /><br />The death of Elijah Love was the reason. It is times like this that tells me intervention and greif action is needed. Glad we have the programs. ( Remember intervention was on the McVey hit list during the levy)<br /><br />Given the number of deaths in our district do to transportation (auto) one must question the item on the agenda last night about bus service.<br /><br />We have a professional transportation division in the district. Why would we place a student in several cars and not provide bus service. We pay little if any attention to some costs where there is no measure. I think you will find that accidents per student miles traveled is lower on the bus than by personal car!<br /><br />DaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-6126084520690354172013-09-10T09:44:56.778-04:002013-09-10T09:44:56.778-04:00Paul,
I was unable to attend the BOE meeting last...Paul,<br /><br />I was unable to attend the BOE meeting last evening. <br /><br />Concerning the "impractical" bus routes, was there any discussion/comments/concerns by any of the other board members, and what was the final vote on this matter?<br /><br />To "M's" comment about "the private schools that HCSD is current transporting students to". If it is indeed case, consider the amount of state dollars our district receives for those students as a part the district's "Average daily Membership" (ADM) count.<br /><br />According to the FY 2012 ODE CUPP report, our ADM was 15,712 while the total end of year enrollment was 14,951 - a difference of 761 students who live in HCSD boundaries but do not attend Hilliard schools. During that year the “district formula funding per student” was $1,919 and the total state funding per student (that includes the state property tax allocation) was $3,681. (I’m not sure which number to use here)<br /><br />So does this mean that our district receives at least $1.46 million in revenue (761 x $1,919) for students in which services are not provided, except for daily transportation? If that is the case, then the district could clear $1,669 ($1,919 - $250) by not providing transportation for those students. <br /><br />Am I understanding the financial part of this correctly for those 761 students who will not be provided transportation?<br /><br />Steve B.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-10103140208166862922013-09-09T08:45:01.696-04:002013-09-09T08:45:01.696-04:00Paul,
I suspect any route of 20 or fewer students...Paul,<br /><br />I suspect any route of 20 or fewer students will be rural. Given how high the taxes are for rural residents, this policy once again tells rural residents that they are a cash-cow for the district.<br /><br />That said, I suspect the target here isn't rural students, but the private schools that HCSD is current transporting students to. The problem there of course is that while that may be the initial intention, down the road this authorization will be used for other purposes by future administrations.<br /><br />However, as you note, the open-endedness of this recommendation, plus the fact there is no review of affected students (or, it would appear, any appeal process available to affected communities) means that the board should reject this as written.<br /><br />But, it will pass 4-1.Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-87565172301540022902013-09-08T22:41:33.971-04:002013-09-08T22:41:33.971-04:00Good points. I also failed to mention that we have...Good points. I also failed to mention that we have a $2,500 deductible per claim on this policy, so we did have some out-of-pocket expenses.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05960574627644930183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4289345346387194350.post-69279495617545918032013-09-08T20:39:50.562-04:002013-09-08T20:39:50.562-04:00Paul,
I think we had several payment last year fr...Paul,<br /><br />I think we had several payment last year from the same carrier. If I remember last year our claims exceeded our premium. After several years of claims exceeding premium or exceeding 65% of premium we will see our rate and thus our premium go up. So while we have insurance to cover such items, it is not a bank account.<br /><br />The less frequent and less severe claims the lower the rate and premium.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com