Those driving along Centerville-Abington Community Schools bus routes have two more incentives to follow traffic laws each day.
CACS has equipped two more buses with stop-arm cameras.
Because of frequent violations on North Centerville Road, a bus on that route now has a camera.
So far this school year, CACS officials have filed 13 stop-arm violations and submitted them to Centerville Police Department for enforcement, Assistant Superintendent Sean Stevenson told the board at its Oct. 11 meeting.
Even on four-lane roads such as U.S. 40, motorists approaching, alongside and behind the bus must stop when its driver activates the arm.
Teacher negotiations
Board member Andy Wandersee and Superintendent Mike McCoy said negotiations for the 2023-2024 teacher contract with Centerville Education Association went very well.
The contract would raise the base salary to $48,000 and create a ceiling for teachers at $80,431. It replaces some language regarding personal and sick days. Extracurricular pay will increase 5% across the board because it’s an area CACS has not addressed for some time, McCoy said.
In addition, CEA agreed to help the school fill in the gaps for underfunded curricular materials by agreeing to leave some funds in the education fund to cover areas that will most likely be underfunded with the new legislation passed this year, McCoy said.
The board conducted a public hearing for the tentative agreements. No residents attended.
New conference for swimming?
Centerville Senior High School’s swimming and diving team could join a newly formed conference separate from the Tri-Eastern Conference under which most of its other sports are played.
Athletic Director Shane Osting said the East Central Swimming Conference also would include Hagerstown, Blackford, Eastern Hancock, Elwood and Oak Hill. They’d have a Saturday conference meet.
Most TEC schools don’t have a swimming/diving team.
Centerville’s school board could OK participation when approving student athletic handbook revisions next spring.
The TEC has approved the plan. No CACS board members raised concerns.
Policies
The board conducted a first reading of potential new policies on topics including streaming board meetings, student entrance age and requirements, programs for students with disabilities, drug prevention and testing, school-sponsored publications and productions, school trips and privately sponsored activities, alcohol and controlled substances, distracted driving, gifts and donations, free/reduced meals, audio/visual/digital recordings, and school library material removal requests.
A vote is expected at the 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, meeting in Spencer Administration Building, 115 W. South St., Centerville.
Staffing
Departure: Pam Sperling, Centerville-Abington Elementary secretary. New hires: Elijah McCoy, high school social studies teacher; Tammy Leffel, CAE evening custodian; MacKenzie Cox, junior high math academic team coach. Pending hire: Jennifer Cooper, CAE dishwasher.
In other business
- The board received packets about LifeWise Academy, a national voluntary off-site school-day pullout program for religious instruction suggested by local representatives. CACS is investigating various aspects before any decisions are made.
- McCoy noted Communities in Schools of Wayne County’s Nov. 9 fundraiser at Starr-Gennett Building. CIS is pursuing new grants and donations to continue funding site coordinators in schools as current funding winds down.
- Phil and Cathy Stevenson donated $1,500 toward the Philip Stevenson Visionary Scholarship Award.
A version of this article appeared in the October 18 2023 print edition of the Western Wayne News.