In the fall of the 2019-2020 school year, the following changes will be made regarding transportation procedures. We thought it best to make families aware of these changes well in advance. These changes all have to do with creating consistent routes so that we can account for each and every student riding our busses, especially during dismissal, which can be a very hectic time of the day. These changes include:

·         Students in grade K-8 will have established pick-up and drop-off locations for each day Monday through Friday. This will allow the transportation contractor to create consistent bus lists to assure consistent route times.

·         The schools will allow students to use District transportation to attend school-sponsored activities like PKA or after-school band/chorus.

·         The schools will allow students to use District transportation to get to town recreational programs if space allows.

·         The District will not allow students to change day-to-day drop-off locations for the following: trips to friends’ houses, pre-dance gatherings, birthday parties, or other social occasions. Those needs are the responsibility of the parents involved.

Just as has been the expectation during the 2018-2019 school year, parents must notify the schools of drop-off changes by 11:00 AM. Those changes coming in later than this, or changes that do not fit the above criteria, will not be permitted. The District is willing to work with families in extreme cases or emergencies, but these situations should only happen infrequently.

In conclusion, it is very challenging to assure that all of our students, and especially our youngest students, board the appropriate busses at the end of the school day. The more changes that take place, the more complicated the job becomes. We appreciate your support in understanding and following Board policy to assure a positive transportation experience for students and families. 

Dear Parents or Guardians:

Starting next year, we will be implementing new procedures regarding volunteers in schools. The intent of these procedures is to take reasonable measures to assure the safety of our students while at the same time maintaining a comfortable and inviting atmosphere in our schools. To assist in this process, we will be asking anyone interested in volunteering to fill out a volunteer application form. Once this happens, we will conduct a background check on all potential volunteers using a state-wide database. Once potential volunteers have passed this screening, they will be eligible to volunteer. For those who fail the initial background check but who still wish to volunteer, they may use the Department of Education’s protocol. This includes passing a background check and submitting fingerprints prior to approval, at the applicant’s expense. This is the same procedure all school employees go through before employment.

While we understand that this is a dramatic change from what volunteers have had to do in the past, we hope that you will support our efforts to take reasonable precautions before allowing volunteers into our schools.

Thank you for your support in this matter.