Pictured are Jonathan Alder High School student Cameron Skidmore, left, with Canaan Middle School Principal Matt Keller, right. Skidmore recently finished his Eagle Scout project, which involved constructing benches, tables and rose boxed for the middle school’s courtyard.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Jacob Runnels)
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Jonathan Alder Superintendent Gary Chapman highlighted the district’s school bus driver shortage at Monday night’s board of education meeting.
Chapman said he tried to remedy this by offering a part-time and full-time position, with half of the full-time position consisting of custodial work, three weeks ago. However, there have been very few responses “and no follow-through.”
“We currently have no substitute bus drivers, and that has obviously created a lot of consternation,” Chapman said. “We’re trying to be as flexible and efficient as we can with our drivers.”
Council member Steve Votaw asked if the positions have been advertised. Chapman said he has taken “normal advertising routes” for listing the jobs.
Later, Cameron Skidmore, a Jonathan Alder High School (JAHS) student, was honored for completing his Eagle Scout project.
He worked with other students and parents to build benches and tables, as well as rose boxes, for Canaan Middle School’s courtyard.
“(I learned) leadership and trying to bring all the different people together, and schedule different times, ” Skidmore said. “Some of the students weren’t available so I had to schedule different times. It’s kind of hard to balance everyone’s schedules and find out if I had time to do it or if volunteers were available to help out with that.”
Skidmore said he was recently accepted at Wright State University and plans to major in engineering after he graduates from high school.
Afterward, Canaan Middle School teacher Virginia Turner had her fifth grade students hold a presentation about their potential career options in the future.
Turner, who also works at Tolles Technical Center, said she’s taught fifth graders before, but it was a challenge trying to find the curriculum and working on a fifth grade level for the career connections class.
“I have taught this on the high school level, and bringing it down to this level (was a challenge)” Turner said. “I’m amazed… These kids know where they want to go with their careers at this age.”
Also at the meeting:
-Chapman also gave news about Jonathan Alder Junior High School’s security vestibule project. He said construction workers have gotten a head start. He said it’s expected the project will be completed by the end of winter break.
-The superintendent reported the Monroe and Plain City preschool program has received a five-star rating from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
-Chapman reported there was an evacuation at JAHS Dec. 7 for a bomb threat. He said he was pleased with how staff members responded to the evacuation.
-Assistant Superintendent Misty Swanger said the third grade ELA test scores have been published. In a year where state requirements have increased, she said there was a four-percent increase in the number of students passing, and a large bump in students who are considered accelerated. She said there was a large passing rate in literacy and “probably more than 80 percent of our third graders” who have met the third grade reading guarantee.
-Swanger said the New Albany Community Foundation has invited “up to 100” JAHS students to participate in a lecture series with actress Glenn Close involving mental health. It will be held at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, in New Albany, at 1 p.m. Jan. 15.
-Board member Mary Jo Boyd was nominated to be the board’s next temporary chairperson for the next board meeting.
The next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at Jon Alder High School.