Safety concerns of AES students being picked up after school addressed by board Monday

Posted December 17, 2014 at 3:26 pm

Clinton County Board of Education held a call meeting Monday evening, December 15 with all members present and a lighter than usual agenda.

The board did, however, hear some safety concerns about students drop-off and especially after school pick-up by vehicle traffic that concerned parents and grandparents. School officials are attempting to address and make changes in protocol for those who pick up children after school.

Before the approximate 45-minute meeting was adjourned during the public comment period, Charles ‘Booty’ McIver addressed the board about the situation where more than one child had almost been run over by speeding vehicles in the pick-up area and parking areas at Albany Elementary School. He and others have apparently already been in contact with their board members and school officials about the problem.

AES Principal Tim Armstrong addressed the board as well, saying that immediate actions to alleviate the problem had to be taken, including changing the way students who do not ride buses are picked up from school in the afternoon. Among the changes would be for children to be walked from the school to their respective awaiting vehicles, one student at a time if necessary.

Armstrong said that he has had trouble with parents of children who have EPOs (emergency protective orders) against one another and problems with parents entering the building without permission. He also said there were over 200 student pick-ups per day.

To help stop the problem of the speeding vehicles that have already picked up a student, Armstrong is suggesting a single line for students to be brought out one at a time. Each student would have an ID number and the vehicle picking them up would have two numbers of that child’s number and video cameras would be used to identify speeders or any other violations that may take place, with the matters taken to court.

“I’m dealing with issues I’ve never had to deal with before,” he continued “Parents can still come to the school, but we have to have control over who is in the building.”

Sgt. Ricky Marcum of the Albany Police Department (and also a parent of a child at the school) has been working with Armstrong and the school on the problem, saying the kinds of situations he (as a police officer) has to deal with is something that schools are also having to deal with as well.

In agreeing with a different protocol of releasing students one at a time to a parked vehicle, which may take more time, Marcum said they couldn’t exchange convenience for a child’s safety.

After some other comments, the board agreed to work with the school to do whatever is necessary to correct the problem and make it safer for students and adults as well.

The meeting began with Albany Elementary teacher Samantha Tompkins giving a presentation on a study she was conducting with teachers and staff at the school in teaching on the subject of ‘differentiation’, or different methods that can be used to teach each child what they need to learn on an individual basis.

The board also approved subsequent disbursements, voted to pay claims and bills and granted a family medical leave of absence to Deloris Marcum through January 31, 2015 and a leave with pay for Michael Thompson through January 4, 2015.

Under personnel report, the following was listed:

* Certified resignation, Vivian Talbott, teacher at AES.

* Certified retired, Gary Norris, teacher at the middle school.

* Classified retired, Stanley “Bud” Marcum, bus driver.

* Classified hired, Matthew Smith, full-time substitute bus driver.

* Classified transfers: Mark Dalton and David Garner from full-time substitute bus drivers to regular bus drivers; and Amanda Shelton from bus monitor to full-time substitute bus driver.

* Classified resignations: Mike Rigney, custodian at Albany Elementary; Gary Wallace, assistant football coach at CCMS; Pam Ostertag, volleyball coach at CCMS and Lonnie Shelton, bus driver.

* Substitute teachers: Gary Farley, CCHS/Foothills Academy and Chasity Stearns, district-wide.

Beginning next year, the regular board meeting dates will change. The board voted unanimously to schedule regular meetings the third Monday of each month (from the second Monday) at 5 p.m. and hold a work session each second Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Both will be at the Central Office and open to the public.

The board also approved the Comprehensive District Improvement Plan that teachers and administrators have been working on, drawing up strategies to improve district test scores in all academic areas and ways to implement the improvement strategies.

They also approved an overnight trip for a selected number of band members to participate in Western Kentucky University’s Honor Band in Bowling Green. The clinic will be held January 22 through 24, 2015.

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York then gave the attendance report for the fourth month of school, November 1 through December 4. The ADA (Average Daily Attendance) stood at 93.67 percent, just below the even 97 percent for the same month a year ago. Albany Elementary School again had the highest attendance at 95.42 while the Early Childhood Center was the most improved, up from 92.83 last year to 94.68 this year.

Also, overall enrollment through the period is slightly higher, with 1,745 students enrolled this year compared to 1,736 enrolled through the fourth month of 2013-14.

Superintendent Charlotte Bernard also gave a brief monthly report, covering a few topics, including the work done on the Comprehensive District Improvement Plan prior to the floor being opened for public comments.

The next regular meeting of the school board is scheduled for Thursday, January 15 at 5 p.m. at the Central Office board room and is open to the general public.