Letters to the Editor 10-3-13

Bussing and the Boys and Girls Club
Editor:   
Three years ago, in response to financial hardship, the school district limited Home-to-School transportation services to mandated transportation for identified special education students only.  This was one of several reductions that became necessary in order to survive the national fiscal crisis and loss of related funding for school districts. Unfortunately, when home-to-school transportation was reduced, bus drivers were laid-off.  
The Boys & Girls Club provides afterschool services for students who attend Jefferson Elementary School and Washington School.  Up until the mid-point of last year, the District provided bussing service for our older elementary age students attending Jefferson Elementary School and for Washington School. The change last year was due to the unavailability of a certified bus driver who could be available for one and three-quarters hours a day to transport students from our school sites to the Club facilities. In response to the unavailability of a driver, students remained on their school site after the regular school day ended and received their services in classrooms, the multi-purpose room and on playgrounds.
For this school year, the district again committed funding to provide after-school transportation to the Boys and Girls Club facility only to struggle finding a qualified bus driver. The district has advertised for a bus driver and, in addition, worked with the Boys & Girls Club, the City of Cloverdale, the West County Transportation JPA and neighboring districts to locate a driver for the program. No applications have been secured for this position.  
The necessary qualifications needed to drive a bus are extensive.  To be qualified, a person will need to have fingerprint clearance, pass a physical, meet federal drug and alcohol testing requirements, and complete a minimum of 20 hours of in-classroom training and 20 hours behind-the-wheel training with a state-certified instructor. In addition, the candidate must pass the California Highway Patrol Class B written permit test and qualify for a special certification for operating a district bus.
A person who is seeking to renew a school bus driver’s certificate, has to successfully complete at least 10 hours of training by a state-certified instructor.
We will continue our advertising and recruitment efforts to locate a driver in hopes of finding a match for a person willing to commit.  We are prepared to support the interested applicant in attaining proper certification and cost of training.  If you know of someone who has an interest, please have him/her contact the District Office at 894-1920.  
Steve Jorgensen, Superintendent
Cloverdale Unified School District
Work together for the Boys & Girls Club
Editor:   
We have a wonderful Boys and Girls Club. We also have lots of boys and girls who could greatly benefit from the programs offered by the Boys And Girls club. What we lack, apparently, is a way to get these kids from Washington and Jefferson schools to the Boys and Girls Club.
I am told that the sticking point is that the school district has so far been unable to hire a school bus driver to transport the kids. This job requires screening, special license, clearances and training. If such a person could be found he/she would be working one hour a day for a whopping $15 per day — $75 a week. I think we can all agree that this is not going to happen. I therefore appeal to all the stakeholders, the kids, the parents, the Boys and Girls administrators and staff, the school district, and all the community clubs and members who have worked hard to make the Boys and Girls a wonderful place we are all proud of, to work together to get this issue resolved.
Let us start with the resolve that we will get the kids from  the schools to the Boys and Girls now, and then figure out how to accomplish that — now.
Kirsten Sullivan, Cloverdale
A Good Samaritan
Editor:   
Last week, as my son was riding his bike to school, his chain fell off and he crashed. Fortunately, he had on his helmet, and besides a few ugly scrapes, he wasn’t seriously injured. He couldn’t ride, but tried to push his bike to school so he wouldn’t be late.   
A Good Samaritan called out to him, made sure he was OK, fixed his bike chain and he made it to school. My husband and I were both at work, and didn’t even know it happened until we all got home that evening.  
When we asked our son who it was that helped him, he said he didn’t know the man’s name.  
Well, neither do I, but I am very grateful to him!  It is nice to live in a small, caring city where people help each other.
Jonni Conway, Cloverdale