Gateway School District works to combat bus driver shortage

On Oct. 18, Gateway School Board members addressed the district’s bus driver shortage after a resident asked for an update on the situation.

The Moss Side Middle School parent claimed that the bus had been late to pick up her child and caused the student to be late to school.

Jack Bova, board president, assured the parent that a late bus arrival would not affect any student’s attendance record. He went on to say that many members of the school’s staff have stepped up to drive buses to combat the shortage. Bova ensured that the district is working to fix the situation.

Board members will also be having a meeting to discuss the loss of paraprofessionals after approving four resignations, three of which were from Ramsey Elementary School.

The board also recognized five employees for acquiring tenure, and approved contracts for four musical directors and the high school’s driving coach. Fourteen volunteers were approved to work at different schools in the district.

In other business on Oct. 18:

• The school board approved a pilot program for use of a reading tracking tool for elementary students provided by Beanstack, a reading motivation platform. Approval of the purchase of software is contingent on the successful completion of the pilot program.

This program will replace Reading Counts and Reading Inventory software, which will save the district between $10,000 and $12,000 annually, according to an administrative report presented at the meeting.

• A sponsor-to-sponsor agreement was approved by the board for the school district to provide afternoon snacks for the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s Before and After School Enrichment Program at Ramsey Elementary.

The agreement calls for the district to receive $7,020, with the YMCA reimbursed for the expense through the federal National School Lunch Program’s Afterschool Snack Service.

• The district has enlisted the services of EverDriven Technologies, which specializes in transporting students with special needs.

Under an agreement approved by the school board, EverDriven will charge the district an $85-per-trip fee, which includes the first 12 miles and up to five students. An additional $2.50 per mile will be charged for longer trips.

• The board approved the purchase and installation of a weapon-detection system for $105,324.12 through the partnership of Covergint, a Southpointe-based global systems integrator, with security-screening company Evolv Technology of Waltham, Mass.

An additional $65,985.92 for two years of customer support is intended to minimize malfunctions, risk, and associated downtime. A School Mental Health and Safety and Security grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will contribute just over $154,000 to the entire cost of the project.

• Board members will be considering contract offers to repair the field garage roof at the Gateway High School stadium. Repairs will include removing existing shingles, replacing the plywood, installing synthetic felt and adding aluminum fascia over the existing wood.

• Student liaison Lucie Miller announced that the high school’s homecoming carnival raised $6,000. The high school will also be starting its bocce team after Thanksgiving.

For more information regarding upcoming Gateway events, visit www.gatewayk12.org.