Cannon hopes that free in-county Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training and a possible $500 bonus at the end of the first year on the job will encourage people to apply to work as school bus drivers.
“At this time we have 68 contracted positions but currently we only have 57 staff members,” explained Cannon. The CDL training actually takes place in Fluvanna County. “I have five people on staff, myself included, who are certified to be CDL instructors, and we do classes in the conference room,” said Cannon. “If we get some viable candidates, hopefully I will be starting another class on July 21,” she added. Those interested in applying should visit www.fluco.org to do so.
Brad Stang’s introduction to the school board as Fluvanna Middle School’s new principal was met with applause. “I’m glad to be here,” Stang said, and added that he is “ready to roll. I am excited to become part of the Fluvanna family and community.” Stang replaces outgoing Fluvanna Middle School Principal Yardley Farquharson.
Also discussed at the meeting are new security buzzer systems that will be put in place at the main entrance to each of the schools. In some cases, the entrances themselves will be reconstructed to improve security. School board member Brenda Pace said that she is “pleased that there will be more security in place for the children and the staff.”
Ed Breslauer, director of finance for Fluvanna schools, reported to the board that Fluvanna schools “finished the year with our revenue down, but we kept our expenditures down where they needed to be as well.” He added that there is the potential for about $74,000-$76,000 carryover in local funds which means, said Breslauer, that “the county will not have to dip into that $413,000 they had set aside. The good news there is that money remains in the fund balance in the county which allows them to spend money on capital projects.” He added that it took “A lot of hard work to keep those expenditures down. We cut back on fuel expenses – our heating oil is an interesting challenge.” Breslauer credited David Fields, director of maintenance, with doing a “great job” at managing fuel costs.
Eagle Scout Bryant Atkins told board members about his completed Eagle project – construction of an outdoor class room at Fluvanna High School. “I would like to thank the school board again for approving my project and giving me an opportunity to me to give back to my community who has done so much for me.” Atkins described the structure as an “amphitheater” that could be used by the drama department as an outdoor performance space, and said that the project came in under budget and took fewer man hours than anticipated. “Hopefully this project will stand for many years and provide a wonderful scene for students to learn in,” Atkins said. School Board member Pace said she is, “very proud of Bryant Atkins. He has worked very hard and has taken this project under his wing from top to bottom and has worked diligently to get that done.” Pace added that she “feels that it is something teachers and kids can utilize and enjoy.”
The school board voted to approve:
*Virginia School Board Association policies as presented in June 2014;
* 2014-2015 Parent Resource Guide;
* Substitute teach pay rate.
