Though the Warsaw School Board Monday night heard two stories about Warsaw Schools staff enriching the lives of others, it also heard a parent’s complaint about the transportation department.
Jessica Dye and her family live on West Winona Avenue. She works second shift and her husband has some physical problems. She complained that a bus was not able to pick up her kids even though many buses go right beside her house.
She said she talked to the school principal, who referred her to the transportation department. When she spoke to that department, she told the board the transportation department was “rude with me.”
Dye then tried to contact Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz, she said, but was not able to reach him. She spoke to Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert, who then referred Dye back to transportation. Again, she said, that department was rude to her.
The road she lives on, Dye told the board, is not only bad but a lot of pedophiles live on it, too. She said she was just asking for a bus to pick up and drop off her kids. She didn’t appreciate the transportation department being rude about it.
“All the buses go right by my house,” Dye said. “I don’t see what the big deal is about stopping by my house. I want my kids to be safe.”
Deb Wiggins, board member, said she talked to Dye and then to Hintz. Hintz told Dye that they tried to bring forth a resolution to Dye’s request. Dye lives in a walking zone to Washington Elementary School, which is why buses don’t pick kids up where she lives.
Kevin Scott, chief financial officer, told Dye that WCS has had walking zones for the past 25 to 30 years. They are areas close enough to schools where students can walk to school.
Dye said her daughter was just 5 years old.
Currently, Hintz said, WCS doesn’t have a bus stop on Winona Avenue. He asked her if she could walk her kid to the nearest bus stop, which is about a block away from her home.
Dye reiterated that pedophiles live nearby and she doesn’t trust anyone with her kids.
Wiggins suggested Hintz set up a time to meet with Dye. Hintz told Dye to come in today and they can talk further about her request.
During the meeting, Hoffert also told the board about how two WCS employees went above and beyond the call of duty.
Leesburg Elementary Principal Randy Dahms told the board about how the school came up with a plan to work more with English language learner students Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Bus driver Mike Ferguson volunteered his time both mornings to pick up the students and take them to school early. Because students were able to attend the morning sessions, their language arts test scores improved, Dahms said.
Hoffert presented a certificate to Ferguson and the transportation department for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Joy Andrews moved from Washington Elementary to Jefferson about two years ago as a teacher. She visited the mobile home parks in the school district to get to know her students better.
Though the students’ families are hard working, the children don’t get to eat a lot of breakfast or lunch, sometimes not at all.
Andrews started talking to Marci Franks, WCS food service director, about what could be done. Franks put one of the trailer parks on the Summer Food Program list. Andrews was then able to provide meals to the children this past summer, but she also interacted with them. Others joined Andrews in spending time with the children whose parents worked during the day.
Hoffert said Ferguson, Andrews and the other staff involved didn’t do what they did to get recognition. He had to drag them to the meeting Monday to be recognized. They did it to enrich the lives of others.
Hoffert presented Andrews and the food service department certificates for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Franks told the board the Summer Food Program provided 1,300 meals a day at nine different sites this summer.
School Board President Jennifer Tandy thanked Hoffert for bringing the stories forward.
