Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Members of the SAD 1 board of directors are unhappy with the city’s decision to not post school crossing guards at the four usual spots in Presque Isle.
The announcement came at the Aug. 12 board meeting catching directors off guard.
Crossing guards had been assigned to the Griffin Street crossing (between Presque Isle High School and Zippel Elementary School), the Griffin and Blake street area, North Street and at Pine Street Elementary School.
Eliminating the positions would save the city $18,788 a year.
“I think we have to do something,” said director Barbara Ladner. “I’m upset with the way the city handled things. To me, every time we have any dealings [with the city] it’s always kind of after the fact. All we need is for some student to get hurt and then we’ve got major problems.”
“If the city council feels that it is too expensive – and we are in rather difficult economic times – would it be possible to have a volunteer parent deputized to be a crossing guard for that period of time?” asked board member Dana Allison.
Superintendent Gehrig Johnson told directors that – at the advice of attorneys – the district should not use students to fill any position.
“We could hire adults but we would be liable for them,” he said. “I’ve never really looked into it. We could probably gear up and train somebody to do it or try to do it on a volunteer basis, but it’s not the most fun volunteer position … especially in the wintertime.”
Director Terry Sandusky said the matter was a “city safety issue.”
“Can we assume the public safety responsibility on the streets of the city? Do we have that legal right and obligation … I don’t think so,” he said. “It’s on the street … it’s not on the school grounds or in the school yards. If it was there, certainly I’d say, ‘We’ve got to do something,’ but it’s on the city streets.”
Paul Saija said he was “uncomfortable” not having school crossing guards at Pine Street and between Zippel and the high school.
“Griffin Street is a very congested area,” he said. “Some third- and fourth-graders aren’t good at crossing the street. We have young kids that hang around our store [Eagle Hill Stamp & Coin on Main Street] and their parents will come and pick them up rather than have them cross the street. I want to see something for the safety of the kids.”
After additional discussion, directors unanimously authorized that a letter be sent to City Manager Tom Stevens, Police Chief Naldo Gagnon and city councilors asking them to reconsider their position.
Stevens said the school board’s request will be taken under advisement.
“Because it’s a request from the school board,” he said, “it will find its way to the City Council’s agenda for September.”
Also at the August board meeting, directors accepted the resignations of Presque Isle High School teachers Stanley Maynard (physical science) and Randall Harper (social studies), while at the same time welcomed Mary Warren and Jeffrey Jewell to the high school.
Warren is the new guidance counselor at PIHS, while Jewell will teach social studies. It was also announced that Joe Greaves, who was earlier hired as a science teacher at Presque Isle Middle School, will now teach science at PIHS.
Presently the only teaching positions still needing to be filled are a science teacher at the middle school and a long-term substitute for social studies at the high school with an approximate starting date of Oct. 13.
The meeting also included approval of fuel and refuse collection bids for the 2009-10 school year.
With four different fuel contracts being bid on (unleaded gasoline, No. 2 fuel oil, No. 5 fuel oil and diesel fuel), each of the four bidders got a piece of the pie. MPG, Inc. was awarded the unleaded gasoline bid with a transport margin of 0.14, Dead River Co. received the contract for No. 2 fuel oil with a prepaid price of $2.30 a gallon, Sprague Energy was the only bidder on the No. 5 fuel oil contract with a bid of $2.03 a gallon, and Daigle Oil Co. received the diesel fuel contract with a bid of $2.55 per gallon.
Star City Sanitation received both the non-recycle and recycle refuse collection bids of $2,094 and $345 a month, respectively.
The next SAD 1 board of directors meeting will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 in the board conference room at Presque Isle High School.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
USE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING — Local law enforcement agencies are urging motorists to use caution when approaching construction/work sites, school buses and pedestrians. Time is limited for road and line crews to complete their work before the snow flies, so motorists are advised to use care when passing crews. Police urge motorists to use extreme care when approaching a school bus and be especially mindful that children don’t always look before darting across the road, either to get on or off the bus. The intersection of Maysville and Main streets has been particularly busy of late, as crews worked to complete lighting updates and bus runs got under way for the new school year.
