Um and especially for a a relatively rural area, it's uh it's to be expected. Um uh conclusion with regard to the regular transportation routes, uh you know, typically for a district uh uh of this size and with these demographics, uh a student capacity ratio of 61 is and a 61.6 is considered relatively efficient. Uh therefore based on the routes and the data and probably more importantly the conditions under which transportation operates with regard to the bell schedules in particular uh it's our uh p opinion that the uh uh ridership capacity is relatively efficient. Um uh and as I said it's considering the current belt schedules and the available tier time that has the greatest effect on on your wrership. Uh one important uh is that uh you're using between 75 and 82% of the total time available uh to transport students. Uh so it's not like you have any extra time at the on these routes for these buses.
But they consider, uh, any more than four students on a route to be a to be efficient. Uh, singletons are what you try to get away from. Uh, taxi service for individual students. Uh, and you're at four and a half, uh, average students per per route. What so making your special ed transportation again relatively efficient. Uh your a capacity ratio of 61% uh and again you're using about 76% of your uh the tier time that's available. Uh the tier time for for out of district is is 60 minutes. We try to keep routes under 60 minutes. Anything over 60 minutes requires parental approval uh by the parent. Uh our conclusions with the special ed uh is that uh uh again for a district of this size and demographics, uh 61% and a ridership of 4 and 1/2 uh is considered to be highly highly efficient uh by both DESE and industry standards.
Um do we have any questions or discussions? Okay, seeing none. All those in favor? I. I. Any opposed? Okay. Okay, motion carries. Gladys, could you do action item B? Action item B, policy 5123-3, graduation ceremony participation. I move that the Board of Education accept for the first reading policy 5123 dash not dash dot three graduation ceremonies participation as recommended by the policy committee in accordance with 26-29. Motion made by Gladys. Do I hear a second? Second by Al. Any comments, concerns, questions? Seeing none. All in favor? I. I.
Um so it's important that we um approve this plan. And um one of the things >> just for clarification, this is not an action item. It is a requirement that the plan be brought forward to the board. So that's why it's under reports and presentation and not review and action. Um so we currently have six routes. Um we transport on an average 130 students. Um our priority um is IEP uh transportation needs. That's our highest priority. And um we do have um let me see. Sorry. For McKenna Vento students, we do also have bus passes. Um, and we do get a reimbursement of about $118,000. And, um, to say the least, our buses do stay very busy.
So, we're just blending that. So, here tonight to ask you for that waiver of days from the 20 days that's prescribed in law down to the shortened days, but they're longer um for the hours to match.
If April wanted to meet with you guys about um she would really like to move spring break because plane tickets take the next week, right? Like >> and she puts that in writing and I send it to you guys and you're like, "Yeah, have a good day if we're not going to have a meeting, right?" You know what I mean? Versus, >> you know, maybe something legitimate, right? Um >> yeah, you're right, Josh. versus maybe when some when April says, "Hey, Levi, like I really think the board ought to talk about this thing, whatever, right? Or have you talked with the board about this thing?" I mean, again, that happens all the time. You know what I mean? So, I don't know. I don't >> What are we trying to accomplish? >> Yeah, I guess that's my question. What are you are you trying to >> We're We're only trying to accomplish that the the request is made in writing >> from the employee to meet with us or just from the employee to him.
Um, even though it doesn't say in the name, Carol and Deli, too. Um, but it's CCJS. So, we just tell them it's Clinton Carol and whatever. We'll roll with it. But you you go to five school districts. What what are things you see? You know, obviously different districts have different things and different strengths, different challenges. What what do you see? >> So, um I think um Deli and Prairie are our biggest schools in our co-op. Um but Deli has um actually three different buildings that we go to. um three separate buildings. Um and um most of the others are consolidated within or they're two different um buildings like Carol. Um you got to walk a little little ways if you're going to walk from there junior high school to um over to the elementary. But um one thing that I do see and I'm starting to see more of um I came from Western and they had just a lot of safety protocols, bigger school, right?
I would just keep a lens on if there's a slip or, you know, or you need more support. Not that there would be a slip, but No, I think that thank you for saying that. I think that's absolutely I I think holding us accountable for that to ensure that the SEL component of the objectives are being met. 100% Yeah. Um, so let me finish off this list here and and cuz we'll get into the 13-2, but uh, kindergarten in talking to Mr. Reagan even this morning or this afternoon, you know, we're on pace to get 205 students. And that, you know, when we start having these initial conversations, we weren't there, right? And 205 is 20.5, 21 kids per kindergarten. And this was not a retirement position. This was one that we thought we could reduce. Uh, it doesn't make sense based on projected numbers right now.
Uh when we allocate 5 minutes uh for uh drop offs at the schools uh and sometimes uh uh it takes a little longer. Sometimes it takes a little longer to load kids in the afternoon. Uh and so when you're looking at uh 75 to 82% of your tier time being used, that that's a very high factor with regard to looking at the efficiency of what you're doing. Uh we then went to look at special ed transportation in particular. We looked at your outplacements uh and at the time of the study and believe me, these things change almost daily uh on a special ed transportation side. Uh but you are transporting 21 special ed students and homeless students to 14 outside placements. Uh and the transportation is provided by both district personnel and six private vendors uh that you use uh uh in addition to your own self-operated uh and you currently cost share three of those routes uh with other school districts.
Uh again, uh any changes would require a school bell schedules and with regard to your special ed out of district placements, it would require the the placement school to change their best bell schedule and quite frankly that's probably not going to happen. Uh and again any increase in ridership uh would require changing placement bell schedules and would end up resulting in longer longer routes and more uh student time on vehicles. Uh we looked at your district owned fleet. Uh your your metrics are uh you only have 17.6% of your vehicles under warranty. Uh uh you have 17 your average age is 5.6 your average mileage of the 124,000 miles uh and uh you only have three of them as I said under warranty. Uh we would like to see an efficient capital replacement plan for the replace sequential replacement of of vehicles as opposed to just buying them when money becomes available.
Any opposed? I. Okay, motion carries. Um Minnie, action item C. Policy 5124, reporting to parents. I move that the Board of Education accept for first reading 5124, reporting to parents as recommended by the policy committee in accordance with 26-30. Motion made by Minnie. Do I hear a second? Second. Seconded by Gladys.
Um, and do you guys have any questions? All right, thank you for the overview. Any questions from the board? >> Is there any scope of expanding the bus services to I think I've asked that. >> Yeah, correct. And remember, we've discussed in the past that in um it's been quite some time now, but we used to have dedicated transportation funding that came from the state. that's no longer the case, which is why uh bus service um was either completely eliminated in school districts or significantly reduced. And so currently our main um student group that we focus on is our special education students. Uh we do have other supports um for students who are f foster youth or unhoused. um we do work together with those families to provide um uh public transportation. That's the avenue that we have is terms of resources. >> Yeah. The reason I ask is because I mean f first and foremost it'll it'll help alleviate all the traffic issues.
Does the board have any questions? I have a question. I have I have a question. >> Sure. For um the elementary is going to be um will will there be an ed specialist assigned to those students to work with those students as they're also mainstreaming? Is that what it would look like? >> Yes. So, what we're going to do is we're going to have um our education specialists available from 8:00 to 1:00. And then and all of the support staff. And then from 1:00 to 4:30 the support staff will remain available and the students will be fully included and part of the program. Um so, they'll get their instruction and their work on their goals and objectives. And then be part of all of the fun activities. So, the the response from parents when we've been sending those invites out has just been so wonderful.
I >> to know that we're aware to know that we're aware of a concern they brought to him because if they think it's concerning, they bring it to him and he was at >> Yeah. >> So, can we just put in writing after where it says superintendent? then I don't but I don't think you have I don't think you have a process though if an employee did want to meet with the board then >> um >> because we are talking about item C correct staff communication to the board >> so this goes back to when we met with Roger >> right >> of when an issue requires board attention because staff members wanting the board to be aware but again there may or may not be the need for a meeting, >> right? >> But a staff member wants the board to know. So when an issue requires board attention, staff may request a meeting in writing with the superintendent and copy the board.
Um but I'm starting to see that more schools are starting to um have parents um bring their license again and have to check in with that. I think we kind of went away from that and we're starting to come back to that again. Um, the other thing that, um, I see is that, um, I want to put a plug out there. Um, our SRO's, we have them in all of our schools, and they're just they're not just sitting around. They're up, they're walking around, they're active with the students. Um, and I know I have another question coming, so I'll kind of wait and and discuss relationship and what that looks like for a special ed student that may have behaviors. Um, but going between schools and having five and yes, I go to all five. I know that I haven't been at Clinton Central as much, but we also have educational consultants that come and and um assist as well, but um I do not feel unsafe.
Um, and and Pete felt comfortable with those projections. Um, the Mendez teacher was an added position. If you remember, it wasn't a retirement position. It was a it was an added reduction. Um, again, while pulling it back in, um, helps us keep class sizes relatively lower than where they would be, right? Um, we're still losing uh, and reducing Mendez by I think Kate's on here, three or four, we'll get to it, but three three educators, um, already. Um, so one of them is a classroom teacher, they're special ed and one is a specials teacher. Um, so by removing two, you go from 30 educators down to 28. And so there's some volatility if we have a little bit of enrollment uh, bumps. Um, we just want to be careful with that. And and the last one here is uh, and I had this conversation with the union today, the bright uh, clinical coordinator.
Uh your root metrics uh look pretty good. uh you're at uh you know on a special ed side you're at 61% of capacity uh which is very high for special ed transportation uh the benchmark that uh that DESI uses across the board and this is a statewide and doesn't necessarily apply apples to apples to rural school districts as it does to metropolitan districts in the eastern part of the state but they consider uh any more than four students on a route to be to be efficient. Uh singletons are what you try to get away from uh taxi service for individual students. Uh and you're at four and a half uh average students per per route. So making your special ed transportation again relatively efficient. Uh your capacity ratio 61% uh and again you're using about se 76% of your uh the tier time that's available.
Uh that's allows you on the long run to level fund your capital outlay for replacement vehicles over time. Uh we recommend in the report that you use a either a three-year uh lease purchase uh for vans and a 5-year lease purchase for buses. And that allows you to build a fleet where you have 50% of your vehicles under warranty at all times, level funding your capital plan going forward. Recommendations, again, establish a capital plan. In addition, instead of buying seven passenger vans, the state now allows 10 passenger vans. And I would suggest that you you buy 10. Allows you more flexibility, allows you to to handle more students if if it's required. And also provides more opportunities for cost sharing with other districts. And then an alternative instead of buying all new vans and 10 passenger vans, you may want to consider buying additional type A school buses, your 19-20 passenger school buses.
Any questions or comments? Seeing none. All in favor? I. I. Any opposed? I. Okay, motion carries. Minnie, action item D. Policy one sorry policy 5144.2, use of exclusionary timeout. I move that the Board of Education accept for first reading policy 5144.2, use of exclusionary timeout as recommended by the policy committee and in accordance with 26-31. Thank you. The motion made by Minnie. Do I hear a second? Second. Seconded by Al.
Mhm. >> Just have, you know, a couple of school buses going and our elected officials always talk about uh what is it called environmental impact and things like that. You know, improve the quality of >> of the uh air around the schools and think and so the easiest thing to do is to should to have not have a thousand cars pass through >> uh our schools. But you know there's there's talk but there's no investment. there is regulation on schools uh to prove that we are not adding to the uh to the pollution but you know the easiest solution would be to >> to have um you know common transport so all all kids can take can ride the school bus >> um you know instead of sending our money to uh the bullet train to nowhere we could just send that money to the school districts and get them >> get them you know get the school transportation back and you save the environment today instead of from instead of 50 years from from now.