Tuesday, February 15th, 2022
Marion board adds incentives for bus drivers
By Tom Millhouse
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local school board members at their meeting Monday night approved added incentives for school bus drivers to create more interest in the positions as some drivers are expected to retire at the end of the year.
The new incentives, which go into effect for the 2022-2023 school year, include offering full-time drivers - both morning and afternoon routes - medical insurance plans offered by the district. The board will pay the employer share, pro-rated based on hours, for a regular route driver for an individual or family medical plan.
The second incentive offers drivers a $250 payment if they drive a minimum of 22 athletic, extracurricular or field trips or $500 if they drive 32 of those trips, which must be made between Aug. 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023.
"We are offering these incentives to attract both community members and staff members to drive bus," said superintendent Mike Pohlman.
Board members also approved using grant funds for the replacement of three older school buses and to make security repairs at the school. The board accepted a $135,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Education School Bus Purchase Program. Pohlman said the grant will cover about 43% of the cost of three new buses, which will cost about $105,000 each.
A $4,703 school safety grant will be used to repair hardware on building doors, board members also learned during their meeting Monday.
Pohlman reported that based on baptism figures from area Catholic churches, it appears enrollment figures will remain high in coming years. He noted that 110 babies were baptized at the churches in 2020, which will likely mean the kindergarten class in a few years will be larger than the current enrollment.
Pohlman said board members discussed challenges the higher enrollment will present in terms of the need for additional staff and more space for classes and extracurricular needs. He noted an addition housing four more elementary classrooms was recently completed to meet existing demands caused by higher enrollment.
"It's a good problem to have," Pohlman said of the projected increase in enrollment.
He said district residents having input on the challenges stemming from rising enrollment should contact him or any school board member.
