The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Crestview will install cameras on buses

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — Cameras are coming to Crestview school buses.

During Monday’s monthly Crestview Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf said five cameras will be installed on each of 10 buses November 22 and 23.

Crestview Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf talks about school bus cameras while Board President John Auld takes notes. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

“We’ll have two cameras on each stop arm,” Mollenkopf told the board. “We visited with Van Wert City Schools and saw how this same system is working for them and it’s been it’s been pretty phenomenal for them in terms of monitoring student behavior, catching people who don’t respect the reds on the school bus and identifying who those folks are who are running reds.”

“We will send out a communication to all parents so that they’re aware that they’ve been installed and we’ll make our students aware of the situation too,” she added.

Mollenkopf noted the cameras will have audio and she said video will be stored between 14 and 21 days.

The superintendent also issued a reminder about a planned two-hour school delay this Friday to give employees, coaches and volunteers a chance to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine and a flu shot.

The board heard a brief presentation from Director of Curriculum Lindsay Breese and middle school teachers Karen Germann and Deanna Ray about a summer program called Education on Location.

Breese explained it was open to Van Wert County teachers in June and was held at Vantage Career Center. 18 teachers participated, including five from Crestview, and college credit or continuous professional development was available through Ashland University. Local businesses chipped into help defray the cost.

“They (teachers) were able to firsthand experience of what the businesses in the community have to offer and then how we can connect with the businesses to help prepare students once they graduate to either enter the workforce, go to a two or four-year college or go into the military,” Breese explained.

Germann used Alliance Automation in Van Wert as an example and learned the business would rather employ students right out of high school.

“They could train them the way they want to train as opposed to hiring a four-year engineering major out of college and then have to retrain them with what they want them for,” Germann said.

Ray added the program gave all involved a chance to learn about different vocations.

Just two items were on the agenda for approval – a 30-year, 90 percent TIF (Tax Increment Financing) agreement for improvements and construction at Harting Livestock LLC and a head coach evaluation form. Both items were approved by a unanimous vote.

The board met in executive session to consider the employment or compensation of public employees, but no action was taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, November 15, in the multipurpose room.

POSTED: 10/19/21 at 3:46 am. FILED UNDER: News