The Spencer school district's new transportation director presented several recommendations Thursday night aimed at trimming the district's transportation budget and combating high fuel prices. As Julie Nemmers reported to board members that Spencer's in-town bus system is often referred to locally as "a glorified taxi service," she then encouraged eliminating 16 of the over 140 bus stops within city limits.

"Basically, the distance between certain bus stops will be increased due to having multiple stops within a close vicinity," she explained. "Plus, this ties in directly with what is going on across the state of Iowa. And, I am involved in a group called 'Safe Routes to School,' which encourages children to walk, ride a bike or skate to school on safe trails and walkways."

Nemmers also suggested eliminating the bus aides placed on Bus 36 and Bus 202 last year. In order to address the discipline issues these aides encountered, bus drivers will be encouraged to enforce disciplinary rules.

The schedule of the TAG shuttle, which ran middle school students to the high school and back, will also alter this upcoming school year. Instead of taking one to five students to and from, involving a bus driver and four trips back and forth, 30 students will start their first period at the high school this year. When they have completed their respective classes, Nemmers said they will all be bused back to the middle school by the same bus hauling elementary band kids.

"This year, we will be using only one bus to haul elementary band students from Lincoln to their respective buildings. Last year, we used two buses, which were each half full," she added.

Another change will occur following the start of the day's middle school bus transition. Instead of two, one bus will head to the district's elementary buildings this year.

"Last minute trips, which do happen, can now be handled by Josh Davenport, who will already be on the clock," Nemmers also recommended. "Also, Josh will be doing all the care, cleaning and fueling for all vans and suburbans, as well as the sub buses. ... Josh is also cleaning all the buses this summer. In the past, we have taken two full days and had six-to-eight drivers on the payroll (doing this)."

Nemmers also encouraged board members and administration to consider: Limiting the number of field trips per class per semester; limiting the number of teacher trips taken in the district's vans and suburbans; and transporting cheerleaders on the activity bus to athletic events.

Superintendent Greg Ebeling indicated approximately $33,000 was spent on fuel during the first semester of the 2007-08 year, when prices were averaging $2 a gallon. By the second semester, when prices averaged between $3 and $4 per gallon, the district had shelled out approximately $66,000.

In other discussion last night, Spencer Middle School Principal Steve Barber offered a brief update on a few changes made in this year's student handbook. Besides home base being held at the end of the school day instead of the start, home base teachers will also be used to supervise the building's tiered guided study halls, he said.

Barber also stated "homework alerts" will now be sent home with students. This form, which will have to be signed by a parent, will then accompany the student's missed homework back to school and placed on their respective classroom teacher's desk.

Cell phone usage by SMS students during the school day will also change from what was allowed last school year, when they were allowed to be used before and after school at a student's locker. Because this caused a "distraction," Barber said students will be allowed to bring cell phones with them to school, but they will not be allowed to use them in the building. Instead, cell phones will be required to be placed in a student's locker and shut off at the start of the day, and remain that way until dismissal. Barber assured board members there will be contact with a student's parents beyond the paperwork sent home with them. In addition to telephone calls made by district representatives, homework alerts will be flagged via e-mails sent through the district's new JMC student management system.

When it was mentioned that Spencer High School has a similar policy in effect, Dean Mechler altered his peers seated around the board table to the fact that "there's a ton of texting going on -- with no control."

"The policy at the high school is working minimally," Mechler said.

While Mechler said the new SMS cell phone policy is fine as it was presented, he encouraged if it doesn't work to "take the next step" and install cell phone blockers in the building during school hours.

Per action taken by the board, Spencer will rank among the approximately 160 school districts in Iowa using the PaySchools online payment processing system. During the 2008-09 year, students and parents will be able to pay their lunch accounts with a credit card, a debit card or an e-check online. This system, which is through the Iowa School Board Association, will tie into the district's new JMC student management system. While board members approved passing the 3.5 percent fee per transaction onto users this year, Ebeling indicated when the PaySchools system goes national, its plans are to eliminate the fee charged to Iowa schools. It was noted that the district could charge any amount for this fee, but PaySchools will charge the district 3.5 percent regardless.

In other action and discussion Thursday, the board:

* Learned from Josie Hough that Positively Spencer Youth will hold its first quarterly family forum during the 2008-09 school year on Sunday, Oct. 15 in the district's central administrative office. The forum, which will offer attendees a free meal and childcare, will highlight the topic of bullying.

* Appointed Sharon Slawson as the district secretary and treasurer; Steve Avery as the district attorney and Spencer Police Chief Mark Lawson as the district's truant officer.

* Set 5:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month as the board meeting time and date for the upcoming school year.

* Approved job description changes recommended for Director of Transportation Julie Nemmers, Assistant to the Director of Transportation Josh Davenport and the district's bus drivers.

* Authorized the district to administer its 403(b) plan, which allows employees to invest salaries pre-taxed into investments of their choice, via a state plan administered through the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. This move will cost the district $300 per year.