Hardin Northern officials pleased with new bus garage

By TIM THOMAS

Times editor

DOLA — Hardin Northern’s new bus garage received positive reviews at Wednesday night’s school board meeting, although there is still some work to complete.

Located on South Cherry Street in Dunkirk, buses were moved from a fenced-in area at the school to the garage on Oct. 5.

Transportation Coordina-tor Mike Crist said, “I think everyone in the community should be proud of it.” He said it’s “top of the line and a lot of school districts would really like to have something like that.”

Superintendent Drew Cano agreed, saying, “overall we’re thrilled with it.”

There are some minor issues along with some major ones to address, like needing more stone in the driveway. He noted some areas that were supposed to be stoned were disregarded, including parking areas on both the north and south sides of the building. More stone also is needed around the fuel pump

But Cano is confident the contractor will take care of all the problems.

Crist said they will be getting a pressure washer that has its own heater to wash buses in the wash bay.

Andy Emerine, technology coordinator, said the garage is well covered by security cameras. There are four on the outside which are multi-cameras so it’s really 16 cameras. “It’s a great view of the front,” he said, noting the cameras are overlapping. There also are three cameras inside.

Crist reported that a new school bus ordered last December is now being built and should be delivered in November. A van also ordered around the same time probably will arrive after the holidays, he said.

Also at the meeting, the board:

– Heard Cano report Garmann Miller Architects is moving forward on designs for the scaled back plans for the football stadium and they expect to get some true estimates soon so the project can be put out for bids.

– Learned the school-wide evacuation drill on Oct. 5 went well, with all students able to fit on the district’s buses. Cano said some traffic bottlenecks during the evacuation were observed and will be addressed in the district’s Emergency Operation Plan update.

(Continued on page two)

(Continued from page one)

– Approved the 2023 FFA trip to the National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Ind., from Nov. 1 to 3.

– Approved performance of the school musical on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

– Approved a three-year contract for Shelby Ruhlen as social emotional learning director beginning Aug. 1, 2024 to July 31, 2027.

– OK’d a one-year contract with Kristen Terhark as a part-time cafeteria cook for the 2023-2024 school year.

– Approved supplemental positions for the 2023-2024 school year as follows: Tyler Paugh, head baseball coach; Doug Ambrose, assistant varsity football coach; Hunter Jolliff, eighth grade boys basketball coach (after resigning as the seventh grade coach); Kelly Eikenbary, vocal performance director; Chad Cook, head girls track coach; Andy Wilson, Quiz Bowl advisor; and Emma Martin, assistant girls basketball coach.

– Accepted the resignation of Jaron Sharp as eighth grade boys basketball coach.

– Approved Pete Brunow as head boys track coach for the 2023-2024 school year.

– Accepted Nancy Souder’s resignation as Quiz Bowl advisor.

– Heard Brett Halsey, elementary principal, report there will be a school enrichment program on Japanese culture on Oct. 25, presented by the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center.

– Went into closed session to discuss negotiations.