Mitchell Board of Education approves bus contract

The decision was made at the regular board meeting on Monday evening at the Mitchell Career & Technical Education Academy Commons.

Joe Graves, superintendent of the Mitchell School District, said Foreman Sales & Service was trying to upgrade their Mitchell facility’s infrastructure and reached out to the district about a possible contract extension before continuing.

The new terms are reasonable based on the current contract the district has with the company, Graves said.

“They were essentially the small increases that come up each year and I felt it was in our best interests to continue with the new five-year deal,” said Graves.

He said the district employees and the district in general were satisfied with the service provided. He noted that the buses the company operates are fairly new and their prices are competitive and reasonable.

The final year of the current contract, the 2021-22 school year, would be the first year of the new contract and would run through the 2025-26 school year.

The prices for the new contract are as follows:

2021-22: regular routes cost $ 3.20 per mile; Excursion shuttle, $ 57; yellow activity cost per mile: $ 3.15; Charter cost per mile: $ 3.31 and downtime of over four hours: $ 12.32.

2022-23: regular routes cost $ 3.30 per mile; Excursion Shuttle, $ 58.71; yellow activity cost per mile: $ 3.20; Charter cost per mile: $ 3.36 and downtime of over four hours: $ 12.69.

2023-24: regular routes cost $ 3.40 per mile; Excursion Shuttle, $ 60.47; yellow activity cost per mile: $ 3.25; Charter cost per mile: $ 3.41 and downtime of over four hours: $ 13.07.

2024-25: regular routes cost $ 3.50 per mile; Excursion Shuttle, $ 62.28; yellow activity cost per mile: $ 3.30; Charter cost per mile: $ 3.46 and downtime of over four hours: $ 13.46.

2025-26: regular routes cost $ 3.60 per mile; Excursion Shuttle, $ 64.15; yellow activity cost per mile: $ 3.35; Charter cost per mile: $ 3.52 and downtime of over four hours: $ 13.86.

The contract also cites $ 2.60 per gallon of fuel cost as a benchmark.

The board members asked how many students are still taking the bus to and from school. Steve Culhane, the district’s business manager, said the number has been falling in recent years, but a significant segment of the student body still rely on bus services to get to and from classes.

“It’s gone down over the years, but we still have seven routes a day. I think there are around 250 to 300 students who take the bus every day, ”said Culhane.

In a question from the audience, Debbie Emme asked if it was possible to build audio and video cameras into buses to reduce bullying.

“To serve our parents and children, why shouldn’t that be an option on the contract too?” Asked Emme.

Graves said he would look into that possibility.

office equipment

The board also approved a five-year office copier and maintenance contract for K-12 and Mitchell Technical College.

The lease includes 24 monochrome and color copiers that will be placed across the K-12 and Mitchell Tech campuses.

The board considered two providers for the service, including current leasing provider A&B Business, which raised a total of $ 233,568 over five years. The other provider, Hard Drive Central, made two five-year options available, one priced at $ 204,762 and the other priced at $ 201,955.

Graves said the district had used both providers in the past and was very satisfied with them, but recommended approving Hard Drive Central’s lower offering based on cost.

“We have used both in the past and have been happy with both in the past. We tend to look at costs and by keeping costs down we want our teachers not to have to pinch every penny, ”said Graves.

A contingent of A&B Business in the audience thanked the district for its business over the years and encouraged the board to consider the fact that using their Toshiba products directly benefits the community by having the local Toshiba America outlet in Mitchell is assisted. The board listened to the proposal before approving Hard Drive Central’s recommended agreement.

Medical marijuana

The Board considered and approved the second reading review and revision of Mitchell Technical College Guidelines 700-900, 113 and 518 at the meeting.

Board member Kevin Kenkel asked if the recent approval of medical marijuana in South Dakota would affect MTC Policy 113, which prevents college employees from making, distributing, dispensing, owning, or possessing a controlled substance on college property to be used while a staff member is engaged in an activity assigned as part of his or her employment with the staff, unless the controlled substance is used as directed by a doctor.

Kenkel said he wanted to make sure there was no conflict between the policy and other policies for students and / or staff that prevent drug use in certain programs such as the construction and maintenance of care or power lines.

“I’m not necessarily proposing a change, I just wonder if all of these discussions have taken place,” said Kenkel.

Graves said it was a question worth retracting for better discussion.

“We can bring it back to the leadership team. Even if you have a prescription (medical marijuana use), you can stop certain activities, ”Graves said.

Unlikely to need vaccine

Emme also asked a question during the public comment portion of the meeting whether a decision had been made to vaccinate students against COVID-19.

Graves said based on what he had heard from a number of school attorneys, it was unlikely to be the case.

“There has been a discussion about this in the School Advocacy Council, and there is a disagreement about whether (schools) could even legally do this,” Graves said. “There is also a statement from the same council that they would say a great deal that schools shouldn’t pass such a regulation, so I would be surprised if a school passed this at the district level. I can’t see the school doing this. “

staff

At the meeting, too, the board approved the following personnel movements:

The new certified hiring of Morgan Taft, 8th ELA teacher at Mitchell Middle School, $ 44,750 for the 2021-22 school year.

The resignation of Becky Anderson, a teacher at Rosedale, effective the end of the 2020-21 school year; Angie Goldhammer, paraducator at colonial schools, with effect from May 24, 2021; and Maggie Ireland, Food Service at the Mitchell Career & Technical Education Academy, effective May 21, 2021.

Different business

Also at the meeting, the board of directors has:

Consideration and revision of K-12 Board Guidelines 700-900 at second reading.

Examination of application renewal approval and participant agreement with the Associated School Boards of South Dakota for the Worker’s Compensation Fund for the 2021-22 school year.

Consider accepting a renewal application and membership agreement with the South Dakota Associated School Boards for the Protective Trust South Dakota School District Benefits Fund for the 2021-22 school year.

Declared excess ownership.

Heard reports from board members.

I heard the superintendent’s report.