Welcome to the April 14th, 2026 special called Called Policy Committee meeting. I will ask you all to stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ask everyone to look over the agenda. >> Anything you like to add over the change? Okay. >> Move to approve. >> Thank you, Miss. Thank you. >> I get to make a motion of this meeting,
so it's great. I'm excited. >> Thank you, Dr. Sullivan. Thank you, Doc. Mr. Vaughn. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Now >> we don't have any public comments. So we will just go right into the policy
changes. Our first policy is 3.400 student transportation management. And you will see that I have added a note to this policy. Um we will request that this policy be approved on one reading
at the next not this coming board meeting but the next to give bus contractors um 30 days in writing notice which is required by our current bus contract. Um, so that one has um a
little bit special note, but this policy um adds language for payment of insurance premiums um and some additional requirements for leasing or renting of buses. And so you will see the highlighted
language that is proposed to be added. And I'll have Mr. Lee can't be here, but we do have Miss Gilland here. It's our interim transportation director here. And so I know that when they met, Miss Ridley, I know you guys met the big things on page two. And so if everybody
will go to page two, these were some of the changes. You'll see that on number five, for contractors who pay their insurance premiums in advance for an entire year's coverage. Contractors provide that certificate of insurance to the transportation department by August 1st of each year. for contractors who
pay their insurance premium on less than an annual basis. Contractors provide a certificate of insurance to the transportation department by August 1st of each year and then an updated certificate of insurance showing the required coverage to still be in place for each consecutive month thereafter by no later than the 10th of each month.
And then the second bullet that second one that we added, if a contractor changes insurance companies were coverage, contractor shall provide a certificate of insurance for the new policy to the transportation department within one business day of the change in insurance companies were changing coverage.
>> These are good changes. >> Yes, Mr. I got a question not necessarily directly to this and I don't know if there's going to be other things we need to talk about about transportation. I know that Stan has brought a lot of different ideas to the forefront and this would be the appropriate place to to just kind of start hashing some of
those out. But um do we need to put any language in here or is there language in here about proration? So if we have a route that comes up in like the middle of a month and we're having to fill that and how does that work with insurance premium?
How does that work with a contractor that comes, you know, uh they they give the route up early. Is that all in the contract language that's already there or is there anything we need to add to that? Can >> address that? >> Yeah, the contract already provides reporations in those cases.
>> Okay. So, we're covered as far as the insurance premiums go. >> We are. >> All right. And do we need to put anything in writing about when those premium premiums are expected to the contractors themselves? like uh you know
we've had discussions about a lot of contractors being concerned that they get those before July 1st. Um is that something that that we need to have in policy? What what would that look like? >> I wouldn't recommend it because it's going to depend on
making sure one there should always be funds available because it's part of every year's budget cycle. So like this year's budget has it in it for next year's upcoming premiums have it in this year's budget if you will. So like we last year we took it in advance. This
year's budget already has it in it. So next year's budget will have next the next year. It's always a year. Yes. >> Yeah. So we basically did two this year. >> I wouldn't recommend putting it in policy because I don't have control over payroll or writing checks. And so it'd be putting something in place that the
board really doesn't carry. Yeah. can't carry out. >> Yeah. Okay. >> But I'll tell you that everything when I've talked to Mr. Smith, our finance director, as long as we have it ready, he said middle of June to the end of June, just like we did last year. So, as soon as we tell him to to go for it, I'm
sure it'll be the same type of certificate of um the contract like we did last year. You sign your contract, then that'll be the release, the same exact thing. >> Okay, great. >> Mr. Ba, >> it's in the contract July 1. It says that we pay them July 1st and loan later
than July 31st. This year, there's a little concern from the drivers that they're not going to have it by July one. We have talked to Michael Smith about it, you know, depending on how the budget works.
You're asking for them to because we've we issued it this year in last budget year. Did we do it that way? I can't remember. >> Be able to do it again this year. and and so we can roll it back and it we can pay them before the end of the budget
year, but we've got to remember that that's an accounting thing here. But it is in the contract that we pay them. They're a little bit on the war path right now. But, you know, my my advice to them was if y'all are running that close, if you need two weeks and then
you're too daggum close anyway. So, um but it's in the contracts. I don't think you need to add a policy. The only thing that I would bring up about this is that does there need to be a consequence if they don't provide the insurance
certificate first of all which I would advocate for that that if the insurance certificate's not there they're not going to get paid and second thing and this is a Tammy question don't mean to put you on the spot but I'm going to um
compliance do we have the personnel to take care of compliance because this is going to be an added paperwork little bit nightmare. Have y'all discussed that or is that even come up yet? >> Okay. >> To our compliance team to help with
that, but they were kind of assigned. We were looking at them helping across the board and not just at insurance, but with this coming up, we may >> Right. That's what I was in my mind, not to micromanage, but I was envisioning that this is another step that y'all have got to deal with that you got to
coordinate with 340 something contracts, right? So, >> yeah, I believe in our budget we have one or two. I can't remember how many. Okay. I mean, there's not hardly any new positions, but I know maintenance has two in our request and I cannot remember if transportation has one or two, but
those are two. I can't remember. >> Okay. So, I would advocate back. So you've got that covered then. So I would abdicate back to that first question. Does there need to be consequence here? And I would strongly suggest that if it's not on file then there I guess their check be held for that.
>> I need something because otherwise I policy and I have nothing here. >> All right. Right. So do I need to >> Yeah, it doesn't I mean the contract already provides they have to be in compliance with policy get paid on it and the contract already. It doesn't hurt to add it here if you want to add >> that. That's what I'm getting at. So,
how does that wording need to be added, Jeff? In your opinion, >> I would add it >> if if certificate is not on file by the first of the month and when do they get paid? When's checks written? >> They're
Yeah, it depends. >> So, certificate on file by the 10th of the month. Does that sound reasonable? Or am I asking for too much there? >> Hey, the rest of y'all can speak.
>> All right, Miss through this with me, >> Mr. Vaughn. And then I will get with Tammy and then I will get with Mr. Yes, Mr. Bond. >> I was like, Mr. B, I think that we need to definitely need to put something in here. um the requirements for them to notify
us of the loss of insurance coverage. We've gotten burnt once and we need to make sure that we put some stipulations in here that is pretty specific and um and the requirements if they do not
if they lose it and the consequences if they don't just like Mr. B said, I think we need to definitely put that in here. >> Thank you, Mr. Clark. Yes, Mr. Sharp. >> Thank you. Um, Mr. Blair, I hate to kind of since you're the expert on the
insurance, I think one of the things that we need is we know our bus drivers will get notifications from the insurance company and things like that. I wish we had a generic transportation email where the insurance company when something comes up with that account, when there's an email that's sent out to
the driver, it's also sent to transportation. So, they're simultaneously getting the same thing whether it's a deficiency in coverage or um you know, the bills do. What do you think about that?
>> Well, it should be because we're listed as additionally insured. Mr. Blair, if you would highlight that for us. I guess >> they if you look at your certificate of insurance, it says we will endeavor to notify you within a certain period of
time and they will, but the the entity that gets the immediate cancellation insurance, they get that they get that quick. Um as far as uh cancellation on the uh additional insure that that will
come but it may not come as quickly as cancellation. But could we add a second >> email? Just a generic just a generic email >> because that would that would take care. >> Yeah, that would kind of take a lot of
that out of because a lot of the stuff happens during the day while the buses are in while the drivers were in the buses. And that means they would get it and we would also get it. >> But you're not you're not utilizing just one carrier, are you? Or are you? >> No. No. I would require them all to to
do that. >> I think that would be a tall order. >> Yeah. >> But why didn't we get >> just to add a second email? >> Why didn't we get notified >> address? Go ahead. >> Just to add a second email address.
>> I know that I have an answer to that question. >> Well, hang on a second, Mr. Blair. from your experience like if a bank has a lean on my truck and they're additionally insured or insurance policy what they're listed as
additionally insured I guess I don't know u how long in your general experience has it been before that notification would go out would it be a couple weeks would it be a couple months >> I think it would be probably in the
30-day range >> okay so the The the bear the burden though is back on the contractor because they're the one we're doing business with. We're not doing business with the insurance company. I know what you're trying to do there. But we can't you know if they if they hadn't paid
their insurance polic it's on them and if they know if they don't notify us again it's on them I think. >> And I agree and I'm trying to put the owners on the insurance company. I'm just trying to build in a >> fel say I understand. Yeah. Yeah. >> I don't know that we can. And that's the reason I say it that way.
>> Dr. Tim, >> you were you wanted to say something. >> Uh yeah, I was just looking at as you were looking for searching for a date. If we're on page two, it looks like uh contract shall provide a certificate of entrance to the transportation department by August 1st of each year and an updated certificate of insurance
showing the required coverage to still be in place for each consecutive month thereafter by no later than the 10th day of the month. >> So you'd mentioned earlier the 10th day. I I think maybe that's a good spot to land on since we already have some >> agree
>> um requirements there. >> That's going back to your original thoughts. >> So if it's not if it's not there by the 10th of month and their check is hailed. >> I think that's fair. >> Mr. Vaughn, >> you all right? >> Mr. Vaugh, >> you think holding the check will be enough consequences?
>> Yes, >> it will be right now. And if it stays lapsed longer than that, then it's subject to termination after 30 days. Correct. If I remember the interpretation of the contract. >> I think that you know the thing that
bothers me is just like what happened when they had a lapse in insurance. >> Our liability exposure was just unbelievable. It could have it could have bankrupted the school system in Ro County if something had happened. If it had had a
serious wreck because it didn't have insurance. I just wish there's something we could do to make it where that never happens again because it could have just absolutely bankrupted us. Well,
>> this is a stop. >> Yeah, Miss Darby. Just for clar clarification when when we're saying that they have to provide that for the consecutive month by the 10th. So if they're
I'm assuming this means that they're going to show you proof of insurance by the 10th of August for the month of September. Is that correct? >> Yes. Because other Yeah. Otherwise they would been driving for August 1st. Yes. So that so then my next concern would be
if they if they don't show up with this I mean withholding the pay is one thing but do we need to add something that says by the first of that following month if it still isn't there then they're not driving >> correct agree because otherwise they're driving without insurance. Yep. So, if
we're trying to prevent what >> occurred, then I would say we need to have something in here that speaks to, >> you know, at the expiration of whatever current insurance is on file, >> if they haven't provided updated, they can't be driving.
>> Great. Good catch. >> Would you two Do you have any >> That's in the contract already. We can add his policy. It's already in the contract. How did you have the wording? I thought I saw you. >> So I think with respect to withholding payment, I think if we want to add that
to policy, what we can do, what I would suggest is the board of education may withhold payment to any contractor until the contractor complies with the requirements of this policy. >> Mike put in the word will. >> Yep.
>> Will. Okay. So you want obligate? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> To do that. It'll give Michael direction too cuz he always asks me what I want to do and I'm like I don't want to do I want to do whatever it says to do. >> So the board of education will withhold payment to any contractor until the contractor complies with the
requirements of this policy >> is going to be is that going to be stiff enough that if it lapses >> Yeah. >> after the August thing if it lapses during the year Is this going to come into effect with that too? >> It would it would come into effect. Yes.
>> Okay. >> So, that will be added to both paragraph five and number six at the end. >> Do you have that, Monica? >> I do. >> Okay. >> You got a first and a second, didn't we? >> A second. Yeah. Um, I got another
question on this, Jeff, and this may have been covered as well, but if you have If they got till the 10th, what they are approving on the 10th is that they have coverage to the following 10th. >> Correct. The following month. Yes. It may not follow the 10th. It depends when
their policies are. If most policies kick in July 1st and they're being paid on a monthly basis, it's going to be a coverage for one month period, one calendar month. >> Okay. So, if this July 1st and it goes to August 1st, >> correct?
that you still have eight days where they cannot have insurance. >> There'll be there's there's a period of time there you have to make sure I mean there is um they need to have some time to get the new insurance certificate in place. If they pay for it on a monthly basis they have to pay for it before
they issue the certificate of insurance and depending how the month falls on the weekend and stuff like that you need to have enough days so they have the time to give you a certificate of insurance for the next following month. I'm just wondering if it needs if they need to prove the
insurance at least to the 10th where we can reverify it again. You know what I mean? If that's So if there's carries from the 1st of July to August 1st, then we need something that's going to show us past that period of time because we're giving
them the premium for this for the entire year. I don't understand >> why we we'd be going monthtomonth on most of this anyways. Well, go ahead. I'm sorry. >> No, no, you're >> I was just going to say, do we need to word it more about having proof of
insurance on file for the upcoming month by a certain date so that you're then eliminating a a period of certain amount of days where you may not have it. So, if it's rewarded where the contractor must have proof of insurance for the upcoming
month on file with central office by this date, then you're covering yourself if you're requesting that before the month begins. >> I think the way it's worded to where it says showing the required coverage is still be in place for each consecutive month thereafter. I think that's the way
I read it. We change stuff. >> I just the way I read it originally was showing the required coverage still be in place for each consecutive month. That's how I read it. So it was saying consecutive the month after that. But if >> Mr. >> Yes, Mr. V. >> We're paying them for a whole year. And
you know the thing about is and and let me let me make a general comment. I'm not a an attorney. I just play one on TV at night sometime. Uh, I've been surrounded by people such as my good friend Jeff Reid for most of my adult life. But we tried to work through
this and I thank Monica for doing that and everybody kind of listening to me a little bit. I I'm not real good. I would yield to any of the rest of y'all. This was just, you know, kind of a hard and fast rule um that I felt very strongly
about. We 85% of our contractors are going to take if not 90% of them are going to take the money and pay the entire year's premium. Some of them didn't last year, some of them took a vacation, some of them did a few other things and those
we continually had to nurse made basically the entire year. And so I think putting this in policy maybe makes we as a board, we as a group say, "Hey, listen. Y'all gonna do right or you not going to drive force?" And so I didn't
want to be so hard and fast about it that somebody couldn't finance their insurance if they needed to, if they did lease a bus, if they were just trying it out, because again, we would box ourselves into only doing business. We
wouldn't give that young driver, that young entrepreneur, young family or whatever an opportunity to get in the contracting business if we made this so hard and fast. That and that was my mindset in trying to arrive at this. So, I would yield to anybody
else. Y'all are a lot smarter than I am. Uh, however, this needs to be worded, but that was the intention and in working with Monica and she listened to me babble for about four hours through all this. Okay, we'll we'll get there. >> Yeah. Let me ask
I don't know. I still it just boy the exposure we had was just man it gave me nightmares. I know it did y'all too, but when we pay these people for this whole year, there's no guarantee they going to do they're going to pay for their insurance with that money. Is there some
way that and I think it would help us too that if if the school system the could pay the insurance companies for the bus driver one we'll make sure that the money sent to them. Second of all,
since we're sending the money directly to the insurance company, it seems like to me that we'd be notified in case it lapses in case, you know, we would keep it from lapsing and for some reason it did. We would be notified right off the bat
because we're in direct communication with the interest company. I think if you you know that gives you a closer communication u threshold with them than you would otherwise. And I mean you know I don't
know it just bothers me that we're giving these people this money and I agree 90 95% of them probably going to do it right. >> But you know I just want to make sure that that these people use that money for the insurance.
I I I think I really think this puts them on notice. I really I hope it does and that they will pay their premium for the entire year. I will share this with y'all. The reason again going back to some of them that have to finance the
ones that do not have a loss run ratio three years. Okay? If they haven't driven for three years, they hadn't been in business three years, those guys, those ladies, they're paying upwards of 156,000. And Mr. Blair, you may be able to
comment on that a year. Some of them as high as $18,000. And and so those are the ones that are really on the edge. And I don't I want to try to keep them in business. I don't want to push them off, but the other side of it is at some point in time, they've got to grow up and and be
business people. Okay, >> that's the long and the short of it, >> Miss Sharp. >> Okay, I don't disagree with you, Mr. Vaughn. I I really think that because we are given the money and Mr. Mr. Vault, Mr. Vault, um I really think that we should require them to pay that full
year or pay a six months and anybody else who maybe fits in the category Mr. Vault is talking about, maybe it's at the director of transportation's discretion. No thoughts >> because we we are giving them a lot of money. The money is going directly to the contractors. It's not going to the
insurance company. >> Yes, M Darby. >> I will say I've heard from a couple of our contractors and I know a lot of them have said that they're anticipating their insurance rates to go up. Um, so that would be my only concern to your point that that some of the newer ones,
some some of some of these contractors, what we're giving them isn't enough to cover the full amount. So, I would hate to see us require that and then lose some of the people that provide service for us because they just don't have the ability to currently do that. Um, I think Miss Sharp has a good idea though
that if if the director of transportation is watching and there's someone like, let's just say this school year that they have an issue with that they're constantly having to chase after for that insurance, they could it could be done on a per contractor basis and they could let them know, listen, next
year we're going to require you to pay this in full because we've been chasing you all year. It also gives them time at that point to be prepared and know that they're going to have to come up with that full amount come July. So, I don't think that that's a bad idea. >> I just I don't know. I just think we
need to require them to show that this money we're giving them is going direct and pay for the to the insurance company. I mean, I you know, I think that even though it may be need a little more than that, it's up to them. But we got to protect ourselves. We got to protect our
our taxpayers and everybody else, you know. I mean, we I just want to make sure the money we pay is used for what it's meant to pay. You know, if we allow them to pay 6 months or 3 months or a month, they could put that money in their pocket and
run. I don't think many of them would, but you know, it doesn't take but one and then we get sued for it for whatever. And I just think that I just think that since we're giving them this money for that, it's up we need to I'd
like to see it pay directly to the insurance companies for the year. >> Can you restate the motion as amended or Yeah. The >> you got you got all that we added there. >> There was quite a bit we were talking
about. So >> what do you want to do? The one thing I think we were adding to section five and six was the board of education will withhold payment to any contractor until the contractor complies with the requirements of this policy.
>> So that's that that's the amendment. >> That's the amendment paragraph five and six. So if you're making a motion, it' be a motion to accept these changes that are highlighted in yellow as five and six with the additional u sentence I just stated. Do do we need to vote on
the individual? Do or can we vote on both of the five and six or do they need to be voted on separately? Clarification. >> You can vote on them together. >> Both of them together. All right. So, I'm going to restate my motion then. I'm I'm I move that we
approve five and six with the added language that the board shall will withhold payment. >> Second. Thank you, Miss Rosales. >> I guess in that motion, I rescended my first motion if everybody's following.
Correct. >> We accept. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you, Miss Rosales. If there's any more comments or questions, >> all in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes.
>> Thank y'all. >> Yes, Mr. Bond. Can we do that? >> I I don't think we can. Honestly, I think that's where the dilemma is. Uh we there has to be some level of trust here. I And I'm all for that, but
I don't legally I don't think we can >> because they're contractors, not employees. >> Yes. If they were employees, you probably could. But as contractors, you can't. >> Yeah. I think next we need to get to page.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Page four. >> And on page four, this is awarding and renewing contracts. If no contractor accepts the route after an all call, the transportation department will retain the route. Um, again, open to any suggestions, but we needed to have
something. So what do we do next other than just leaving it sitting out there forever? And then you'll see exchanges. We marked exchanges may only occur and instead of saying in June of every year with the express written permission of the director of schools or his or her
design after communicating with the contractors determining such an exchange creates a cohesive route management system is currently written with positive long-term benefits for the students, parents, contractors and the transportation department is essential to Rutherford County schools.
those >> and that June language is um the same in the >> in the contract. It doesn't specify that it has to be in June, >> but we wanted to make sure that it was the same. >> Okay. >> Any comments on
>> any comments? >> Page four. >> I would so move to approve both of those and I'll explain them if anybody wants to >> I think we're wants to understand what what's behind that. >> No separately. We work separately. All
in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Now moving on. >> Then our last changes are on page five, which is the leasing or rental of buses. You guys can kind of the leasing or
rental of buses. Contractors who lease or rent buses for less than a 30 period a period of 30 days. For repairs, a written lease agreement must be provided to the transportation department. An extension of 30 additional days may be granted by the transportation department. Contractors who lease or rent buses for a period of more than 30
days in a written agreement between the lei and the leor must be provided the transportation department immediately and approved by the board. The contractor and lesser will be responsible for the liability insurance as required in the bus transportation services contract during the duration of the lease. And so you guys can that's a
lot of uh legal language. So if you guys want to discuss that a little bit more definitely outside of my realm of expertise there. >> You want you you want me to give you the background >> please. That this is and after kind of thinking through sever
several of our contractors have been drivers for other companies before and they have simply come up here and applied for a route. They've gotten a route, but then they're leasing a bus from somebody. It could be Bluebird. It
could be one of the other contractors. Uh it could be some other transportation company. And what we discovered in all of this was that um I kind of got so aggravated about it that I've decided that the leasing was
causing us a lot of the problems because if if you look back about 20 of those buses that failed to have insurance on them were lease buses and I'm thinking how did that fall between the cracks and and there's all kinds of side deals
going on and and so after talking to probably 10 or 12 of the contractors and me voicing my opinion saying, "I'm fixed to cut all this crap out. We're we're not doing this anymore." Basically, they didn't beg and plead,
but they gave me the insight to it. Some of these guys and ladies have to lease a bus for a small period of time if they have a bus broken down. Uh Tyler Black, I think, has been one of the contractors that has provided buses uh to to people
on a temporary basis. I think Mr. Carter did. Uh and when I got to talking through a lot of them, a lot of the people that have from four to eight buses theirel, they have a spare bus or two and they're able to help their fellow contractor out without having to
go to Bluebird and all that if they have a breakdown, if they have something happen. Um and and and some of these fuel system problems, it's taken Bluebird or Thomas 30 days or longer even to get the repairs done. And and so
I thought, well, the board needs to take a position. We don't care. Less than 30 days, I don't care. I don't want to get in your business. You do what you got to do. If I break down my truck, if I'm if I'm if I'm in the trucking business, if I'm me farming, I have leased tractors
on a temporary basis when one of mine has gone down. I think all of us have, you know, we've we we've had a wreck. You go to the leasing agency and you you lease a car temporarily. So, we do we really care less than 30 days and I took the position. No, I don't care. I don't care. Y'all handle it. Y'all do it the
way you want to. Just let transportation know that you've done this in some type of written form and then if they need to, you know, if the parts didn't come in or something, they need 30 more days, it can be granted by the transportation department. And I didn't feel very
strongly that it need to come across our desk. I think Tammy and her staff can handle that. I think they're very capable of doing that. But here again, when we have somebody that comes to us and says, "Okay, we're going to we're our business model is we're going to lease a bus. We're going to get a we're
going to get a route from you guys. We're going to put in for a route." And they're their business model is that they're going to lease a bus for the extended period of maybe four years for that entire contract. then I think it needs to come across our desk. Uh the
written agreement needs to be between both parties provided to the transportation immediately and approved by us. I feel very strongly about that where we know a little bit about what's going on. Again, I don't want to micromanage. I say that all the time. We
don't need to. But I think that stop gap measure, it takes some heat off of transportation trying to make judgment calls. It takes it off the director of of him. Not nothing personal, Dr. Svin, but you trying to stay in the flow of
who's doing what over there. I think that's something that we can just look at if it's once a month, once every two months. I've also asked for transportation to kind of keep us a little bit better informed. Uh, and I think they will. Not that they it's been bad, but I just think we need to look at
that. That is a significant part of our budget. it affects, you know, twothirds of the school population. We just don't need to get in the position we were before. But anyway, so that's kind of the basis of that. If y'all want to amend this, y'all want to change the language, that's the idea behind it. I
just think it needs to flow across. We The buck stops here. Period. We We need to have the final say so in that. >> I'll make the motion we approve that. >> Thank you, Mr. Bond. >> Thank you, Miss Sharp. >> Yes, Mr. Tidville. Uh the only question
I have about it is the the last line the contractor unless or will be responsible for the liability insurance. So who's the check going to? Is it going to >> It would go to the whoever the contract's name >> whoever's got the route. >> Right. >> Okay. >> Right. >> And they are covering their driver even
if it's in a lease type situation. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Yes. M are do we need to finish that up? Do we vote on it? >> Yeah. We can vote if you're >> Okay. I I've got something else I want to add to this, but I want to make sure
we stay on the busing. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Let me make one suggestion on language on this uh for a couple of things. On that first sentence where it says contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs. It doesn't read quite I think correctly
there, but I think what we should are meaning to say there is in that first paragraph, contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs must provide a written lease agreement to the transportation department. Period.
>> Do we need to put in there? Can we take that for repairs out? >> He's talking about less than 30 >> because it could be for something else. So it says contractors who lease rent buses for less than a period of 30 days for repairs must provide a written lease
agreement to the transportation department. Is that right? Are we saying we we're not requiring that you were worried? >> No. I Well, the basis of that is they need to be notified. Transportation needs to know what bus number. See, they'll swap routes out there and and
here's here's what goes on. If y'all really want to know what the problem is, here's what goes on behind the scenes is is okay, somebody breaks down or somebody's covering somebody else's route, but you know, little Johnny's got a dentist appointment and they call the school to get little Johnny off the bus
and they call bus 235. Well, little Johnny ain't on that bus cuz that bus is sitting still. Well, where is Little Johnny? Well, he's on 339 and Miss Susie's picked him up and he's halfway across the county. What? That bus is supposed to be in Leverne. What's it
doing at Rock Veil? And and I don't know what I'm going to get a little deep right here. I don't know why Tammy and them hadn't lost their minds. When you start listening to the chatter that goes on, I I they're filling in and they do a
great job, but there's so much liability out there and then it creates that anxiousness with the parents. And I know the principles. Then it ends up across y'all's desk defending y'all just a little bit. Well, you're trying to track
that young and down and nobody knows where he is. And and so it's just a simple format. I think what I'm after here is that they know the records there. Principal can contact there. There's where he is or she is. Yeah,
maybe I worded it wrong. I I don't know. That's what I'm after here is to limit our liability and to give the parents a sense of knowing that I'm trying to anticipate all problems and not I don't
know all problems but just trying to anticipate where the problems could arise. So again, I would accept any type of amendment or motion or whatever, but the 30 days, I think it does. I'm okay under 30 days that transportation knows
cuz that way they can adjust their records as to what the bus number is that's carrying that route or doing that route. More than 30 days, I think we need to be notified. We need to approve it as because that gets into the long-term operation of that route, which
ultimately is our responsibility. >> Miss Darby. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. Reed. Bus 305 breaks down and they call Mr. Black and say, "Hey, can I get your backup bus 211 for the day?"
I guess my question to you would be liabilitywise, what does that does that change anything for us? Well, the as far as liability goes, the it affects insurance. So, these lease buses are complicated for insurance
purposes because you if you're leasing a bus for operation, then you're operating someone else's bus to run one of your routes and you don't own that bus, you got to have a certificate of insurance that allows you to have coverage on that bus that you were leasing.
And if you have a driver that's not yourself, then you have to make sure that driver that you're going to be using to run that route on someone else's bus is approved as an approved driver on an insurance certificate. So it becomes very complicated with respect
to people who are leasing buses and making sure your coverage is in place. uh the transportation department and myself has spent lots of time going through these insurance certificates for lease buses and they're they're getting better than what they were and people are learning what they have to do on it.
But you have to have the name driver as an approved driver by the insurance company otherwise you may not have coverage. Well, so my guess what I'm getting at because this has kind of opened up a little bit of a >> a bigger thing is
it may be just for the day. Somebody got a flat tire and they really just need the bus for the day. So there may not be necessarily a written agreement, but my concern would be for our transportation department at that point. Do we have proof that bus
211 that's the backup bus has insurance or do we have proof from the driver of bus 305 that his insurance will cover bus 211 while he drives it to cover his route. >> The contracts require that have to provide proof of that coverage and those certificates of insurance are to be
provided to the transportation department to be approved by the transportation department. So, but do is that is it written in the contract that in in a case like that where it's just a coverage situation, not even necessarily a lease, but just when somebody is covering for someone
else that they're required to provide transportation with that. And my next question would be is are you guys getting that >> that on their insurance they list multiple people and so we can go and check and say yes we've already got the proof that that person's been approved to drive for that bus
>> carrier has to be notified >> when they're using like a backup bus though right >> are you also getting proof that that bus itself is covered as well because we already have the backup bus coverage >> you do for those buses and then we can go and confirm they're telling that's
going to drive is approved. >> But on a last minute note, you know, at the very end of the day, like when they call at the last minute, that's where we need to look at >> and and and generally speaking, not generally speaking, what I have observed
is most of them will will call somebody, hey, you go run my route this afternoon. and they and so that bus is covered. That driver they've already got their stuff on file. It may be a backup bus. It may be a bus that's on a route that
that has time to to catch that that run or whatever it is. And then they swap out the money theirel. We I don't sometimes we get involved, sometimes budget office gets involved, but last the last minute stuff is I think it will
work itself out. But again, this is kind of a place to start and I anticipate us tweaking it over the next year or two cuz again, you have to re realize this all got laid in our lap last year when the insurance got taken away
>> and and so this is, you know, we're having to grow with it or change with it. And >> um well, as I said, I I think this is a place to start. I we'll have to revisit this. think about it. If we see it's causing a problem, obviously we can come
back and tweak it. I think >> anybody else I think you did you had a motion and I think uh >> so uh so we're amending it with where with the the new language. So it would be contractors who lease rent buses for
less than a period of 30 days for repairs must provide a written lease agreement to the transportation department. It says an extension of 30 additional days may be granted by the transportation department. And that's the first paragraph
>> right >> there. There's additional change we need to make in the second paragraph. So if we're going to if everyone's okay with that, we need to act on that first paragraph first separately and then we go into the second one. >> Thank you, Mr. Rosal. >> Second. >> Thank you, Mr. Darby. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Okay.
The second item I think I can't to get the intent to the intent of what we're talking about here. Um the current language says contractors who lease rent buses for a period of more than 30 days. A written agreement between the lei and leor must be
provided to the transportation department immediately and approved by the board. I think if we're going to read have that read correctly, I think it needs to be no contractor may lease rent a bus to run a bus route for a
period of more than 30 days without first obtaining the approval of the board of education and a written lease being in place. Period. >> Thank you. I would so move change that language. >> Thank you, Mr. V. Thank you, Mr. Title.
Any other discussion? Okay. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. >> Move on to the >> last line. Good. >> Yeah. >> Last one I think is fine.
>> Yes. Is it? >> Yep. So, we're ready to approve. Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Darby. Thank you, Miss Sharp. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. >> To pass the whole policy as is probably >> has just changed.
>> I'm Thank you. >> I never get to do it. >> Thank you, Dr. Sullivan. Do you have a second? Thank you. Thank you. So, while we're still on buses, um I'm trying to make my way through the the handbook from Wilson County that we all got and um everybody's busy and everything, but
one of the lowhanging fruits that was in there was they are offering a stipen for referrals for bus drivers. Is that something that we should seriously consider look at? I mean, we've done that for our teachers
>> as part of like a recruitment bonus. Mhm. >> I think I'd rather add it to part of our HR recruitment bonus instead of a policy, but I love that idea. 100%. >> Yeah. I don't >> Yeah, >> I don't. >> Do you know what they how much they do?
>> Up to 500. >> Yeah, I love that idea. I'll put it on the next board meeting. Bounty on bus drivers. >> Yeah, I love that. Thank you. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, Dr. Sullivan, you you put the motion out to accept. Only other time I get to do it's on the health department
board. >> But we don't have a second. Someone likes a second. Thank you, Mr. Sidwell. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Moving on. >> All right. Next policy is 4.602
grade point average. This would add well there's two little changes. one is just um typographical on the first page um that national industry certification should have been in the fourth column. So, we're going to fix that. And then
it's going to add the equivalent SAT scores um for students if there's a tie for validictorian or saludiatoran. Right now we only have the ACT composite but more and more students are also taking the
SAT. >> Move to approve. >> Second Darby. >> Thank you Miss Sharp. >> Any other comments comments? Okay. All in favor say I. >> Any oppose? Motion passes. >> Okay. And then we have one new policy
which would be policy 4.2002 annual instruction. Excuse me. Annual instructional observance of Independence Day. This would add a policy to require annual instructional observance of the Fourth of July holiday within the academic school year.
>> Misswell. >> Yes. Rosal. >> So this policy is the companion to the resolution that we all did a few weeks like a while back. Um so basically the thought is that since the independence
day happens to fall during the summer break where there's no school this will give a t chance to kind of celebrate that and observe it within the school during one day during the school year and it'll be age appropriate based on
what grade level it is. um the director of schools will be the one to select the day that it will be observed for the entire for the for the entire school system. And really this is not to add um
um fun like costs to this because they're to use whatever it's already there. So whatever is available that's what we can use given that we've got YouTube and things of that nature. So it just lists the different um things and
to what can be done for each uh grade band. So and it's supposed to really more educational, nothing to do with the politics of anything like that. Should be nonpartisan um and just stick to the historical facts and founding documents. That's it.
>> And if I can say the Captain William Lidle chapter of the D loves this. So Oh, good. Thank you. Move to approve. >> Second. Thank you, Mr. Rosales. Do we have any more comments? Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion passes.
>> All right. That concludes our business. >> Nothing else too. We are adjourned.