PINE GROVE – Issues about the hiring of several full-time bus drivers topped discussions Wednesday night when the Rock Hill Board of Education reconvened its Tuesday regular meeting.

Thursday, August 17, 2000

PINE GROVE – Issues about the hiring of several full-time bus drivers topped discussions Wednesday night when the Rock Hill Board of Education reconvened its Tuesday regular meeting.

Board members entered executive session to discuss personnel issues that were to be voted on later in the meeting and to give several parents a chance to voice their concerns on several issues facing the district in the new school year.

That executive session followed Tuesday’s lengthy executive session.

Afterward, all five board members voted unanimously to hire Bill Jenkins and Patty Hunter as full-time bus drivers.

The board’s hiring of Lee McKenzie and Phil Johnson as full-time drivers passed on a 3-2 vote.

In the split-decision, board members Carl Large, Wanda Jenkins and Fred Wells supported hiring the bus drivers.

"There’s no seniority involved in the hiring process," Wells said. "I feel McKenzie and Johnson will make good employees, otherwise I would never have voted for them. I have to think about the safety of the students. We have nothing against the other substitutes the names we voted on were the ones recommended."

Large and Mrs. Jenkins refused to comment on the reasons behind their votes.

The district had four positions available and many qualified candidates, Superintendent Lloyd Evans said.

Several substitute bus drivers present at the meeting raised concerns about the decision, calling it unfair to the drivers who had served the district for several years.

"Lee McKenzie has worked in the district for approximately one year," Evans said. "Phil Johnson worked several years ago for the district for a very short time. He was on the substitute list and received his qualifications and certification before resigning from his position and accepting a position for the Open Door School system. Several substitutes felt the board’s decision was unfair to those who have more experience with the district."

Evans said the method for hiring full-time drivers was not based on seniority because substitutes cannot accumulate seniority.

Board members Jackie Harris and Troy Hardy said the decision to hire McKenzie and Johnson should have been given more consideration.

"I have nothing against (McKenzie and Johnson), however, we do have two others who worked in the district almost every day last year," Mrs. Harris said. "Those two individuals have substituted in the district for quite a few years now. Johnson has not worked in the district for several years and McKenzie has less experience in the district then the other gentlemen."

In other business, the board unanimously voted to hire Twila Stump, Matt Fulks, Christie Meadows and Nicole Wilds as teachers for the 2000-2001 school year.

In other business:

– The board employed 16 substitute teachers, six substitute educational aides, seven substitute janitors and six substitute bus drivers for the new school year.

– The board approved the 2000-2001 student handbooks for each of the six schools and the 2000-2001 test calendar.

– The board approved home instruction for Joshua M. Stapleton, Keli Jones and Julia Rae Church.