The Atlantic School Board held a Work Session Wednesday evening to discuss matters that included conducting a Needs Assessment/Culture and Climate Survey. They heard via video connection from Tony VanderZyl, Surveys and Research Coordinator with the Iowa Association of School Boards, who said the survey would cost the District roughly $1,400.

All surveys with teachers, staff, students and parents would be done online, and completely anonymous. VanderZyl said the survey needs to be taken at least two months before the end of the school year, in order to better assess the data and formulate a course of action for the next school year.

The Atlantic School Board also discussed the District’s Protocol for Transportation incidents, such as when a bus became stuck last week. The current procedure includes:

• The bus driver ensuring that all students are safe, or if other actions are needed to secure their safety. Superintendent Steve Barber says the procedure is “thrown out the door,” if there is a bus rollover, or accident with injuries. In that case, 9-1-1 is of course called first, to elicit an emergency response.
• The bus driver communicates with the bus garage, to inform them of the situation and the bus’ location.
• Once the location of the bus in trouble is known, the policy is for another bus to be taken to the location of the disabled bus. Students on the bus with a problem, will be transferred to the new bus upon its arrival. The regular bus driver then assumes control of the replacement bus, and finishes the route or transports students to their school.
• Parents of the students who have not been picked up, will be informed that the bus is running late, and the district will try and provide them with a timeline for pickup.

Superintendent Barber says Transportation Director Mark Weis is working on a Hard Surface-Only plan. Once the plan  is completed, it will be communicated to parents. The option will primarily be used in the Spring, when gravel roads are soft due to frost removal.

In further discussion, Board member Laura McLean asked how the message is communicated to parents when there is an issue involving a bus. She suggested the message include more details as available, so students aren’t waiting outside for a bus (especially in the winter), and how the message is communicated to parents.

Steve Barber said the question is, should the message be sent to everyone via JMC, or just those parents whose students are on the bus with an issue?  Parents can also contact the Atlantic bus barn if they have questions about where the bus is and when it may arrive.

Board member’s Kristy Pellett and Jenny Williams said parents need to be aware with the use of social media, they may find out BEFORE they can be notified by the District, and in some cases before the bus barn/district itself is aware of an issue. Pellett said parents need to understand “We’re not going to be instantaneous with our communication. It is likely that you might hear about it from your child or somebody else before[hand], but we will do our best once we have the situation under control, to notify you what actions is being taken or if you are needed.”