After spending the summer working on more efficient bus routes, Transportation Department Director Art Daniels presented the results to the Benjamin Logan Local School District (BL) Board of Education at its monthly meeting on Monday, August 19.

Daniels, Jane Foreman and Jo Riedmiller, made sure the buses were full, while also taking into account the amount of time students spent on the bus, which was a particular concern for the team.

As a result, the district will have 23 bus routes this year — two fewer than the 25 it had before. In preparation for the changes, Daniels plans to have each driver run their route by bus before school starts.

Superintendent John Scheu and the board praised Daniels and his team for their work.

“You are the first director I know who gives drivers a say in their decisions,” said board member Karen Dill.

Scheu later explained: “We haven’t perfected it yet, but we’re getting closer.”

Another major topic of discussion Monday night was the addendum to the school’s new policy regarding cell phones for middle and high school students. This was necessary because of House Bill 250, which Governor Mike DeWine signed in May, Scheu reminded the board.

By July 2025 at the latest, schools must introduce a mobile phone policy that restricts use in classrooms.

Scheu presented a strategy to “strengthen Benjamin Logan’s focus on learning, consistent with our mission to ignite students’ passion for learning, create a solid knowledge base, and foster a sense of community within our schools.”

Daniels and Foreman also commented on this directive and emphasized that it must also be applied to school buses.

“The bus is an extension of the classroom,” Foreman said. “We need consistency from the time they get on the bus at 6:50 in the morning to the time they get off at 4:30.”

Scheu confirmed that the current rule only applies to school buildings, adding that the state’s language also does not affect buses. He plans to talk to other districts to see how they have handled cell phones on the bus.

Currently, cell phones and other portable electronic devices must be turned off during school hours and kept in students’ lockers.

Disciplinary action may include a warning from the classroom teacher or confiscation of the device until the end of the school day. Further violations during the school year may also result in the device being taken to the office until a parent or guardian can pick it up.

In an update on Raider Care – an afterschool care program offered to parents for their children – Scheu claimed they are dealing with two problems.

First, the person who previously ran the program is no longer involved. After advertising the position, BL administration received only one application, which they rejected. Now, Scheu said, they plan to hire two assistants to share the work at $20 an hour each.

The second problem is the program’s spending deficit of about $6,500 over the past four years. “We may have to raise fees to break even,” Scheu explained.

Raider Care, which runs from 3:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, costs $3 per hour for the first child and $2 per hour for each additional child in the same family, according to its website. The price will increase to cover costs.

“We are not trying to make money from it,” Scheu concluded, “but we should not have to subsidize it.”

In another action,

• Scheu recommended that the board approve two new members for the district’s armed response team after they complete eight additional hours of training.
•  The board heard the district’s goals for the 2024-2025 school year. All five are measurable goals. They are: Achieve an overall rating of 4.5 or better on the Ohio School Report Card; Close fiscal year 2025 financially with revenues exceeding expenses; Achieve 100 percent certification completion in science or reading by June 30, 2025; Maximize overall student learning by eliminating interruptions; Communicate with the community.

Board member Scott Spriggs expressed concern that he did not have access to the list before the meeting and, after a lengthy discussion – particularly with Principal Annette Ramga-Alatorre – voted against the motion. Nevertheless, it passed by a vote of three to one.

• Treasurer Leah Baker asked the Board to approve the July 2024 financial report, including the bank reconciliation, all invoices for that month, and annual commercial paper reporting requirements, which the Board did.
• Approved a one-year contract (August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025) for Jeffrey Fox, Caretaker.
• Hire the following people for detention, Saturday classes, and study tables: Joslin Lee, Jodie Kavanagh, Colleen Miller, David Wood, Shannon Peterson, Jane Hough, Abbey Shields, and Lisa Daniels.
• The resignation of JV/HS football cheerleading coach Melissa Burgess was accepted.
• An additional contract for Gretchen Powell, middle school technical assistant, was approved.
• The following are accepted as submitted: Bus stops for the 2024-2025 school year; Cell phone use addendum to student handbooks; Renewal of lease with Weekday Religious Education for $1.
• After approving the resignation of Cammie Honaker, effective June 30, the Board appointed Karen Barns as Trustee to serve the remainder of the Belle Center Free Public Library’s term, which expires December 31.
• Several individuals and groups have stepped up to improve the high school weight room. These donations have included $8,000 from the BL Athletic Booster and $14,000 from the BL football program for equipment, $14,000 donated anonymously for flooring, and $750 worth of additional weight room equipment from Rod Bair.

The next meeting is on Monday, September 16th at 6:00 p.m.