Columbus Board of Education discusses new school bus routes at final meeting of the year

Sheridan Hendrix, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
Regina Prince's 11-year-old son, Caiden, a sixth grader in Columbus City Schools is getting a new school bus route when school resumes after the winter break. Caiden is seen here Dec. 13 getting off a bus in front of Maize Elementary School, where he picks up his 7-year-old sister, Jade, who goes to school there. Their mom, Regnext semester. Caiden gets off a bus front of Maize Elementary where he picks up his younger sister, Jade 7, who goes to Maize Elementary. Their mom, Regina, then took them home.

Columbus City Schools Board of Education members discussed solutions to the district's ongoing busing issues, praised retiring Superintendent Talisa Dixon and officially appointed Dixon's interim successor at its final board meeting of the year.

Rodney Stufflebean, the district's interim director of transportation, shared with the board that the district will be ready to roll out new bus routes in the new year.

"Everything is still on track," Stufflebean said.

Columbus City Schools, plagued by busing route issues this fall using the AlphaRoute software, now also used VersaTrans software by Tyler Technologies, which the district previously used, to prepare new bus routes that will go into effect after winter break.

The district is in a three-year contract with AlphaRoute and spent more than $1.5 million on that software, according to a May school board agenda. The district’s contract with Versatrans, which cost $95,815, started on Nov. 1 and expires on June 6.

The new VersaTrans bus routes were completed Nov. 15 and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees rebid bus drivers' contracts earlier this month. Bus drivers have been doing dry runs of their new routes since Dec. 5.

There are currently 506 drivers ready to begin in the new year, Stufflebean said. He added that having more drivers than current routes will be a good extra layer of security in case issues arise.

Scott Varner, Columbus City Schools executive director of family and student engagement, said the district has tried to overcommunicate with students and parents over the last six weeks in preparation for these changes. Between mailers, phone calls, fliers sent home with students, emails, social media posts and one-on-one conversations, parents received route-specific information at least six times, Stufflebean said.

For those with lingering questions, the district's Transportation Call Center will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. over winter break weekdays (except federal holidays) in case parents have questions about their child's route. Additional staff members will also be manning phones during the first week classes resume.

Saying goodbye to Dixon, James

Columbus City Schools Superintendent Talisa Dixon during a Nov. 30 interview with The Dispatch.
Columbus City Schools Superintendent Talisa Dixon during a Nov. 30 interview with The Dispatch.

After an hourlong executive session at the beginning of Tuesday's meeting, Columbus City School Board President Jennifer Adair and the rest of the board recognized Dixon and Deputy Superintendent of Operations David James for their work in the district.

James announced in late November that he would be leaving the Columbus district to be the new executive director of the Summit Education Institute in Akron. His last day working in the district is Dec. 31. James came to Columbus in June 2021 after retiring from Akron City Schools after 30 years, including 13 as superintendent.

Tuesday's board meeting was Dixon's first since she announced her intentions to retire as superintendent at the end of this academic year.

Board member Christina Vera, who attended the now-closed Brookhaven High School when Dixon was principal in the early 2000s, reflected on their time together, first as teacher-student and now as peers.

"It's truly a fill-circle experience to not only learn from you but also serve alongside you," she said.

To both James and Dixon, board member Tina Pierce said she has been grateful for their leadership and commitment to asking difficult questions.

"May you continue to challenge those around you to be great," Pierce said.

Angela Chapman, who will become interim superintendent of Columbus City Schools on Jan. 1, is seen here in an October 2019 photo provided by the school district. She is currently the district's chief transformation and leadership officer.
Angela Chapman, who will become interim superintendent of Columbus City Schools on Jan. 1, is seen here in an October 2019 photo provided by the school district. She is currently the district's chief transformation and leadership officer.

Board officially appoints Angela Chapman as interim superintendent

The board also approved the contract for Angela Chapman, Columbus City Schools interim superintendent.

Chapman, who was brought into the administration by Dixon in 2019, has been the chief transformation and leadership officer for the district. Chapman will begin as interim superintendent on Jan. 1.

Dixon will remain on as an Educational Administrator to support and assist with the transition of leadership for the remainder of the school year, the district said earlier this month.

According to her contract, Chapman's daily per diem salary shall be increased by $300 as interim superintendent. She currently earns $157,874.68 a year.

The board did not discuss or give any new information about when and how the search for a permanent superintendent will take place.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Board of Education talks new bus routes, thanks Dixon