Posted: 5/20/04
By Barbara Brown
North Branch district bus riders must be aware next school year that the districtís bus rider policy will be stricter and will not allow students to ride buses to several different drop-off sites.
In an effort to improve the efficiency of the bus system for the district ñ as well as improve the safety of the children that ride buses ñ the North Branch school board voted to accept a change in the districtís busing policy.
The old policy allowed students to get notes from home to ride buses to friendís houses or to grandparentsí houses on different days and other other days the students still were allowed to take buses to day care centers and athletics programs along bus routes not designated as their primary one.
Because the districtís population is growing dramatically and because keeping the bus routes as efficient as possible is important, the district decided to make the change.
The new policy, approved during the school board meeting on May 13, states that a student may have a primary drop-off site and one alternate site that may be used during the week.
The alternate site is any other location besides the home; such as day care or gymnastics practice.
The sites must stay the same throughout the year, according to the policy, with only one exception. Parents may change one of the location sites one time per school year.
If a family moves during the school year and remains in the districtís busing area, the site change policy does not apply.
Also, except during the first two weeks of school, none of the buses would be rerouted to pick up students who miss their primary bus.
In other board news:
ï The board accepted a $25,000 donation that would be used to create a scholarship fund in the name of George Orwollís father. Bob Orwoll worked as the North Branch districtís superintendent for 30 years. The auditorium in the North Branch Middle School is named for him. George Orwoll now lives in Rochester. He plans to make the first announcement of the winner of a scholarship at the next school board meeting, June 10.
ï The board adopted revisions of several policies in the student and staff policy manuals. Several policies focused on how teachers and staff should address behavioral issues and attendance of students.Other policies addressed student-specific policies including consequences of drug use, how the Internet may be used at school and the prohibition of bullying.
ï The board will hear bids for telephone service. District finance manager Randi Johnson asked the board for permission to seek bids, saying that she believed the district could get a better rate if it signed a three- to five-year contract rather than going with the current year-to-year plan.
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