Northeastern board members decided unanimously Thursday night that Ladig wasn’t insubordinate when she filed the complaint with the state but didn’t completely remove the reprimand from her personnel record.
RELATED: State says Northeastern violated federal, state bus safety rules
Northeastern Superintendent John Kronour told the Springfield News-Sun the district maintains it followed all bus safety laws at all times and was addressing the wheelchair issue before a complaint was filed.
A current bus driver and a former transportation department administrator said at the school board meeting Thursday they have concerns about how the district’s transportation department is run. Northeastern is the second largest school district in Clark County.
The Northeastern board members met in executive session for about three hours Thursday night for a grievance hearing regarding the reprimand filed against Ladig.
In the original written reprimand, Ladig was accused of making “baseless allegations” when she filed the complaint accusing the district of not doing enough to stabilize an 18-year-old student’s wheelchair while riding a school bus. It swayed and allegedly caused the student to hit his head on the window, a letter from Ohio Department of Education Assistant Director for the Office of Exceptional Children Monica Drvota says.
The vote removes the insubordination part of the reprimand but it still alleges she broke policy by disclosing student records and health information without authorization.
Ladig declined to comment Thursday night and her attorney, John Concannon, didn’t return phone calls Friday. Kronour said he supports the school board’s decision.
DETAILS: Training for school bus drivers
Northeastern allegedly violated an Ohio administrative code because no district transportation department staff members attended a team meeting to review an individualized education program for the student involved and no documentation was submitted to the transportation department, the state’s letter says.
The school district rebutted those allegations in a Aug. 31, 2017, letter recently obtained by the Springfield News-Sun.
The district says in that letter they worked extensively to fix the problem and didn’t violate any laws.
“Several efforts were made to check and re-check the student’s wheelchair as secured to the bus, different methods to secure the wheelchair to the bus were attempted and complainant was given explicit instructions regarding the same, contacts were made to NuMotion (wheelchair company) to assist in checking the student’s wheelchair for defects/stability, etc.,” the letters says.
READ MORE: Graham schools to invest $600K on new transportation facility
“Transportation personnel was consulted on numerous occasions, including but not limited to the meeting on March 21 and that information from the transportation personnel was taken into consideration both before and during the IEP team meeting on April 21,” the letter says.
TRENDING STORY: Yellow Springs restaurant Williams Eatery shuts its doors
The letter goes on to say, “Transportation personnel was in fact consulted in preparation to the student’s IEP and that the consultation with transportation personnel was discussed at the student’s IEP team meeting on April 21.”
A separate letter addressed to the Ohio Department of Education on Jan. 5, 2018, recommends the state look into adding an appeal process. It’s not fair that Northeastern cannot appeal the findings, the letter claims.
“This left the board with no means of redressing the findings in the state complaint,” the letters says. “The board believes this is a serious void in the conflict resolution process codified in (Ohio administrative code).”
The Ohio Department of Education hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment. The Springfield News-Sun also has submitted public records requests to the Ohio Department of Education for more information on the allegations but hasn’t received them.
MORE COVERAGE: Clark DD to privatize transportation for disabled
Transportation concerns
At the school board meeting Thursday, former and current employees also asked questions about the Northeastern transportation department.
Current bus driver Jodie Childs, who’s worked at the district for 38 years, said the operations aren’t running smoothly.
“We have lost communication in our transportation department,” Childs said. “It’s critical. We need help there and I am asking the board to look into it.”
She supports Ladig, she said.
“Addressing the issues of safety on our school buses is a critical, critical thing,” Childs said. “I don’t really feel like they are listening to our concerns about transporting students in general, not just (students with disabilities). It’s across the board.”
Bob Skelton, who served as Northeastern transportation director before retiring several years ago, said he still monitors the bus radios and is concerned about what he’s heard.
“It’s shameful, what’s going on,” Skelton said.
He said he heard on the monitor buses breaking down often and a lack of good communication.
MORE ABOUT NORTHEASTERN: Student of the Week Northeastern High School
“It is getting really, really dangerous,” Skelton said.
He said the board needs to focus on its transportation department.
“I live in this district and I am very concerned about it,” Skelton said. “I hope somebody gets on it and someone listens and pays attention.”
Most school board members didn’t respond to the concerns during the meeting but school board member Steve Schwitzgable did.
“I can assure you we will have conversations about what’s going on in bus transportation,” Schwitzgable said.
Kronour said in an email that he will look into the concerns, too.
“I will be investigating concerns raised last evening over the course of the next few days,” Kronour said.
By the numbers
3,300: Students in Northeastern Local School District
2: Codes, one federal and one state, the Ohio Department of Education says Northeastern violated when transporting a student who uses a wheelchair
3: Corrective steps the state says Northeastern should take to remedy the situation
Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun first broke the news about state allegations against Northeastern Local Schools and will continue to follow the story.
About the Author