Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Huntley School District 158 School Bus Service in Turmoil
8/30/6 - “We have problems ever year the first week,” Yvonne Tovar, President of the Huntley Educational Support Personnel Association, told McHenry County Blog, “but reductions in staff this year mean we can’t handle what’s coming in.
“Glen Stewart was hired as our boss and he decided to go ahead and reduce workers inside the transportation office,” she explained.
“They thought we were overstaffed. Now, we’re understaffed.
“Before he came in everything was fine,” Travor said. “Nothing was broken and needed fixing.
“And, now, the district got more money, but has angry parents.
“We’re understaffed,” she continued, ”because they where we had five, we now have two.
“I’m, mercifully, not one of those two people,” she added. Tovar is a driver trainer for transportation, in addition to her union role.
“They have to dispatch, route, answer phones and email.
“We’re getting over a thousand phone calls a day and, today, I would assume we had at least 400 emails.
“The parents are upset, one, at the reductions in the stops that the board directed, and, two, at the overcrowding of the buses.
“Only bus drivers can handle the questions that are coming, but they would like secretaries to answer the questions. Two bus drivers are now answering the questions, where five used to,” Travor explained.
“The board’s direction was crystal clear,” said school board member Larry Snow. “The administrators were told to hold meetings with residents and in neighborhoods, as necessary, to address issues before school started.”
“Why Mr. Stewart chose not to meet with the residents before school opened, beats me.”
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Photo was taken the night of the Huntley School District 158's Board discussion of the need for forensic audits. Stewart is in focus behind out-of-focus outside auditor Tim Cole. The bottom picture is of Larry Snow.
“Glen Stewart was hired as our boss and he decided to go ahead and reduce workers inside the transportation office,” she explained. “They thought we were overstaffed. Now, we’re understaffed.
“Before he came in everything was fine,” Travor said. “Nothing was broken and needed fixing.
“And, now, the district got more money, but has angry parents.
“We’re understaffed,” she continued, ”because they where we had five, we now have two.
“I’m, mercifully, not one of those two people,” she added. Tovar is a driver trainer for transportation, in addition to her union role.
“They have to dispatch, route, answer phones and email.
“We’re getting over a thousand phone calls a day and, today, I would assume we had at least 400 emails.
“The parents are upset, one, at the reductions in the stops that the board directed, and, two, at the overcrowding of the buses.
“Only bus drivers can handle the questions that are coming, but they would like secretaries to answer the questions. Two bus drivers are now answering the questions, where five used to,” Travor explained.
“The board’s direction was crystal clear,” said school board member Larry Snow. “The administrators were told to hold meetings with residents and in neighborhoods, as necessary, to address issues before school started.”“Why Mr. Stewart chose not to meet with the residents before school opened, beats me.”
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Photo was taken the night of the Huntley School District 158's Board discussion of the need for forensic audits. Stewart is in focus behind out-of-focus outside auditor Tim Cole. The bottom picture is of Larry Snow.
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Ahem -
If the registered kids are 7,000 give or take whatever and there are usually 2 to 3 per household - let's call it 3,500 households just for the sake of calling a number.
The district has 1,000 - ONE THOUSAND calls PER DAY and this is the 2nd day and 400 emails. Even allowing for multiple calls from one household - that's a lotta of calls!
And a skeleton crew to field the calls and emails.
Ya know, that doesn't sound like minor glitches to me and it doesn't sound like just a few so-called cranky parents who grouse about any change.
Who was the person who said District 158 hires the best and the brightest (and the most qualified, and the best fit)?
Oh, I know - it was one or more people in the board majority and one or more executive administrators.
Glen Stewart, former unemployed board member became the hired administrator over Transportation.
While the tendency is to want to cut a "newbie" some slack, I think in this case many residents are climbing on the "let's put Mr. Stewart on the train out of town" bandwagon.
$101,000 per year plus benefits is a lot to pay someone who is responsible for what's happening today. Being a nice guy or a team player or friends with certain board members shouldn't weigh so heavily when choosing an employee.
If the registered kids are 7,000 give or take whatever and there are usually 2 to 3 per household - let's call it 3,500 households just for the sake of calling a number.
The district has 1,000 - ONE THOUSAND calls PER DAY and this is the 2nd day and 400 emails. Even allowing for multiple calls from one household - that's a lotta of calls!
And a skeleton crew to field the calls and emails.
Ya know, that doesn't sound like minor glitches to me and it doesn't sound like just a few so-called cranky parents who grouse about any change.
Who was the person who said District 158 hires the best and the brightest (and the most qualified, and the best fit)?
Oh, I know - it was one or more people in the board majority and one or more executive administrators.
Glen Stewart, former unemployed board member became the hired administrator over Transportation.
While the tendency is to want to cut a "newbie" some slack, I think in this case many residents are climbing on the "let's put Mr. Stewart on the train out of town" bandwagon.
$101,000 per year plus benefits is a lot to pay someone who is responsible for what's happening today. Being a nice guy or a team player or friends with certain board members shouldn't weigh so heavily when choosing an employee.
Your observation that Stewart is a newbie doesn't hold. He was a board member and involved on these discussions before the so-called legit process appointed him to the administrative role.
And all school districts transport students. 158 has transported students for years. Why can't they get this right. Anyone one would know that there were going to be issues, always are at the beginning of a schoolyear. And with major changes, didn't they think there would be late buses, many telephone calls. Why didn't they staff for this? Seems that the Board ineptness is now more visible at the admin level....
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And all school districts transport students. 158 has transported students for years. Why can't they get this right. Anyone one would know that there were going to be issues, always are at the beginning of a schoolyear. And with major changes, didn't they think there would be late buses, many telephone calls. Why didn't they staff for this? Seems that the Board ineptness is now more visible at the admin level....
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