District pilot study gives flexibility for bus drivers

Findlay City Schools plans to continue its pilot study of offering bus drivers some flexibility in their choice of assignments. The pilot, which was first launched during the 2021-22 school year, will be extended in the upcoming year. On July 25, the Findlay Board of Education approved a memorandum of agreement with Ohio Association of Public-School Employees Local 10, the union representing the bus drivers, that extends the pilot for one more school year. "When they negotiated the new contract last year the union wanted to eliminate all trip drivers, and allow the drivers to come off their routes and take trips," said Zachary Qutub, district transportation director. "(The pilot program) was negotiated for a trial period to see if having drivers come off their routes to take trips worked for the district, and the safety of the students." The union's previous contract with the city schools employed three trip drivers and one flex driver. A trip driver takes all evening trips, and route drivers could not come off their routes to take evening trips. A flex driver covers any route that is open due to illness or leave. With the elimination of the trip drivers, the district has been able to hire more bus drivers and has added three additional flex drivers. The pilot will be evaluated at the end of this school year and may be continued in the 2023-24 school year, if the union and superintendent agree. How it works Findlay City Schools provides transportation to all elementary pupils who live more than three-quarters of a mile from the school they are required to attend. The boundary for middle school students is one and a half miles and for high school students, it's two miles. Shorter distances may be approved by the superintendent, if the road is "unreasonably hazardous relative to the age of the child concerned." The boundaries also do not apply to students who are assigned transportation as part of an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP. Access to the district's computerized routing system is available to the public on the district's website, www.fcs.org/transportation, via "Infofinder." The online tool allows parents, guardians or students to identify their bus route and determine bus stop times. Parents and guardians of students who attend a special program or preschool must contact the transportation department directly by calling 419-425-8271. Searches are done via street address and school building. Students should arrive at their bus stop five minutes before their pick-up time. According to the website, pick-up and drop-off times are approximate and may be adjusted during the beginning weeks of school. Bus stop times will become more consistent as the year progresses.