High school busing to return in fall
By Jane Beathard
Staff Writer
London High School students will again ride buses to school next year, following action by the board of education on Tuesday.
Board members approved a recommendation by Superintendent Tom Ben to resume high school bus transportation for the 2013-14 school year.
“It’s the right thing to do to get back to basics,” Ben said.
“It’s a basic, fundamental item.”
The district discontinued busing for high school students in 2011 to save money. High school busing costs the district about $55,000 annually.
As district finances improved, Ben lobbied school board members to reinstate the service.
Ben said new procedures and routes will separate high school and junior high school riders from younger students.
“There will be more benefits (to new procedures) than just transporting high school students,” he said.
Transportation director David Lattimer will begin planning new routes and schedules for the 2013-14 school year in coming weeks.
Also on Tuesday, board members tabled until April recommendations to renew the contracts of six district administrators. They included contracts for psychologists Kimberly Hendry and Marlo Brown; LES Principal Carol Daniels; LHS Principal Chad Eisler; Cafeteria Supervisor Rochelle Wilson and Special Services Director Amanda Alice.
The decision to table those contracts followed a 55-minute executive session, called by the board to discuss employment issues.
In other meeting business on Tuesday, school board members:
• Hired Carolyn Prince as a substitute mathematics/English language arts tutor for the after-school program. Prince will work until April 18.
• Accepted the resignation of Sally Riggsby as school cook, effective Feb. 19.
• Accepted the retirement of Cynthia Peters as health and physical education teacher, effective at the end of the school year.
• Hired Wahida Sultana as itinerant preschool teacher, effective March 1.
• Hired Carole Barr as home instructor for the 2012-13 school year.
• Hired school nurse Valerie Peart to perform kindergarten screenings April 15-19.
• Hired David Lattimer as truant officer and Jasmine Featherstone as special education coordinator at London Academy for the 2012-13 school year.
