VIENNA — The Maries R-1 School District is working toward a solution for five Vienna Early Learning Center (VELC) preschool students it previously denied bus transportation for the upcoming 2019-20 school year.

At the school board’s July meeting, Doug and Beth Kleffner were in attendance and Beth Kleffner spoke briefly during the public information portion of the meeting. She told the school board that public speaking is not her strong suit, but she has written a letter for all of the board members to help understand her family’s position. She has a child who will greatly benefit from preschool. The child will be picked up from a daycare on Highway 133 near Meta. 

There are five other students who live in that area who will attend the preschool and were also denied bus transportation. They were told the preschool bus can’t be sent to that part of the school district because it is so far. 

Kleffner said they live near Brinktown but the babysitter is along Highway 133 and the children catch the school bus there. She said they were told the farthest the preschool bus will go is Highway 42 and Highway T. The Kleffners can’t leave their jobs to go pick up the student.

Board President Cindy Petershagen said they need to discuss it in executive session. Following the executive session, when asked about it, Superintendent Mark Parker said they will look at this again and will figure out a way to transport those five preschool students. 

Parker explained they have to balance the amount of time a student is in class with the length and time it takes to run the bus route. The preschool bus takes the morning session students home and picks up students for the afternoon session. The longer the route, the more it takes away from instructional time. 

They need to find a balance because the ADA requires 522 instructional hours a year and funding is tied to meeting this number. The preschool students need three hours each school day of instruction. With the afternoon class, they already are shorted hours because of half days of school. 

Parker said they have to balance the route and balance the time in order to keep their state funding. 

They will be looking at whether or not they can work that stop in and keep the preschool route at one hour or less with its pick up and delivery. Whatever the solution, Parker said those students will have bus transportation.

In other business at the Maries R-1 School Board meeting:

• In his financial report, Parker reported Formula/CTF revenue for July at $93,807.35. Using a two-year average the Formula/CTF revenue showed a decline of nearly $5,000. Prop C revenue for the month was $30,0385.91, a $4,000 decline in the two-year average. Transportation money received in July was $6,842, an increase of $539 in the two-year average trend.

Electricity expenses for July were $6,248.89 and no propane was purchased during July. He said the electricity was higher because they have been waxing floors. The last tile has been laid, the floors are waxed and some are awaiting the placement of baseboards. Some air conditioning issues were experienced but these have been resolved and they have noticed the temperature is now consistent throughout the buildings.

• In his administrative report, Parker detailed some back-to-school information. School starts Wednesday, Aug. 14. Next year school will start late due to passage of legislation and the governor signing HB604 which states school can’t start 14 days before Labor Day due to tourism. This takes affect next school year. Open house is Aug. 12 from 6-7:30 p.m. with sixth grade and ninth grade orientation from 5-6 p.m.

• The board members tabled making a decision on the district’s tuition rate for out-of-district students. They will set the tuition rate in August.

• Only one company submitted a propane bid. Lock’s Mill bid $0.89 per gallon, which is 10 cents cheaper than the school district paid last year. Five companies were notified about a request for bid. The board accepted the Lock’s Mill bid.

• With HB604, there are implications for Maries R-1 School. One is beginning with the 2020 school year, school must start at least 14 days before Labor Day. Parker said this will change Maries R-1’s calendar because they don’t want the first semester to extend beyond the Christmas break and have to give course finals right after the Christmas break.

Also, there is the issue with paying tuition to St. Elizabeth School for students in the Maries R-1 School District who want to go to school in St. Elizabeth. In the legislation it is called a transportation hardship and specifically names schools in Vienna, St. Elizabeth, Pacific and Rockwood. If a student lives 15 miles from one school (Vienna) and lives five miles closer to another (St. Elizabeth) then the student can apply for a transportation hardship and the school the student is supposed to be attending has to pay the student’s tuition in the other school district. Added to that bill the governor signed is required additional training for school board members, both new members and current members. They are required to do a training each year, either online or at a training session. Part of the training stresses prevention of sexual abuse of children. The requirements of the house bill become effective Aug. 25.

• Parker told the board members he met with the contracted bus drivers. With Charlot Fanning retiring from her bus route, they came up with a plan to absorb her route among the remaining seven bus drivers. They tried to eliminate cross overs and picking up students on the same roads. Parker said he went with all of their drivers on their new routes and still has to GPS all of the new bus routes before the routes are finalized. He said he hopes to have this information on the website the week before school starts. The bus drivers have been asked to be at open house Aug. 12 to answer questions from parents. Parker said parents with questions can contact the school as well.