SYRACUSE - Several Wawasee parents who claim their children were threatened by a bus driver asked the Wawasee School Corp. Board of Trustees Tuesday to find a new bus driver for that route.

The parents want a different bus driver for their children because of an e-mail one of the parents, Laraine Tucco, allegedly received from the bus driver, Dena Cook, Sept. 13. Tucco said the parents have been transporting their children to school themselves because of concerns about the bus driver.

The e-mail Tucco received from Cook, which she read at the school board meeting, was labeled "My Wish For You" and said: "Never in a million years would I think I would get to the point of wishing hurt upon another, I now feel that way ... I wish for you that sometime in your life, someone comes along and hurts you to the point of tears, day after day after day ... I would never ask to hurt a child but I wish for you someone to come along and continually hurt one of your children over and over day after day ... A hurt so strong that your insides will tear you apart to the point of making your stomach sick over and over day after day."

Tucco told the school board that Superintendent Dr. Mark Stock declined the parents' request to change bus drivers previously. Tucco also said she had discussed the matter with her child's school principal and the Wawasee transportation director.

This morning, Stock said when transportation director Bob Lahrman brought the matter to him, no other person involved in the matter had spoken to him at that point. The parents worked their way "up the chain of command" before the matter got to Stock. Lahrman approached Stock with the possibility of moving the seven children involved to different bus routes.

Stock said they frequently get such requests. "What these things do is create musical chairs," Stock said. The matter was discussed between Stock, Lahrman and several senior bus drivers. If the bus routes for those children were changed, it would have affected at least three different routes. It was decided changing all those bus routes would be difficult to do and may set a precedent for other parents requesting a change in bus routes.

Stock said he, at that point, told the parents a decision would not be made, that it would be taken into an executive session under personnel matters for discussion. However, before that meeting took place, the parents contacted the media and introduced their concerns at Tuesday's board meeting.

The school board met in executive session after the regular meeting to discuss Cook's status. Executive sessions regarding personnel matters are not open to the public or the press.

This morning, Stock said the school board discussed at the executive session all the points and communications involved in the situation. An administrative decision was reached, he said, and today "the bus driver is not currently driving and will not return to that route." There are no other bus routes for Cook to fill.

Cook was not present at either meeting and could not be reached for comment this morning.

Other parents present at the meeting concerned about the safety of their children included Donald Tucco and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hazzard.

Hazzard told the school board he and his wife want a new bus driver because they believe Cook is a threat to their children. He said seven children are involved in this safety matter, not just one child.

The parents told the board the incident began as a disagreement between their children. But when the bus driver became involved and sent Tucco the e-mail, the parents believed it was a safety matter the school needed to address.

In other business, the school board:

• Heard from parents Virginia and Chad Freel that the corporation's busing situation needs to be looked at further. Stock told them and the board that busing is being studied and more information will be presented on the matter at the school board's November meeting.

• Accepted the donation from the Knights of Columbus of school supplies for Milford, Syracuse and North Webster elementaries.

• Approved an additional appropriation of $23,286. According to Wawasee Director of Finance Jim Evans, schools throughout Indiana received additional monies for professional development. Now that Wawasee has received the money, the additional appropriation resolution is necessary so the school corporation may spend it.

• Held the first reading of a board policy regarding a "rainy day fund." Two more readings of the policy are required before the policy is established.

The policy states the fund may receive transfers of unused and unencumbered monies from other funds raised by a general or special tax levy. Such transfers cannot exceed 10 percent of the total budget of the school corporation for the fiscal year in which the transfer occurs.

• Heard from administrative assistant Joy Swartzentruber the corporation received a Safe Haven grant for more than $13,000 for security cameras in a couple of the schools. The corporation received more than anticipated and a decision is being made on how to use the extra grant money for security.

• Heard a presentation from Wawasee Academy Director Nancy Sigler on the academy.

The academy is a "positive alternative high school that offers a nontraditional environment for students who have not been successful in a traditional school setting," according to Sigler. Adults are welcomed to participate.

She said they have approximately 53 students from age 13 to 67 active on the academy's role. The class includes two expectant mothers, one expectant father and only 14 students 16 or younger. She said if the corporation didn't have the program, maybe only four to 10 of the students would still be in school.

The community has been very supportive of the program.

Members of the Wawasee School Board are president Brian Dawes, vice president Carol Swartzendruber, secretary Marion Acton, Jeff Wells and Dallas Winchester. The board meets at 7 p.m. in the administration office board room, Syracuse, on the second Tuesday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]