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News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Dean Transportation bus driver Randy Potts on April 5 hits the tire on a bus before he heads out to pick up Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District students. Potts listens for a specific sound to tell if a tire is low.
ALPENA Schools in Northeast Michigan face many challenges maintaining bus fleets and scheduling new bus purchases.
Many local school districts have older buses that often travel hundreds of thousands of miles over the course of a school year, adding wear and tear to the buses and maintenance costs to a district’s budget.
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News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Tables in Alpena High School’s gymnasium were set up in advance of state testing which is to begin next Tuesday. Students will be spaced three feet apart during the testing.
ALPENA School districts in Northeast Michigan are preparing to administer state tests to students amid the latest surge of coronavirus.
Some Northeast Michigan school districts plan to move forward with the required testing next week, while other schools will be relying on alternate testing dates for their students, who are currently learning remotely from home.
Alcona Community Schools is among the districts that will have to test students on alternate dates. The school district transitioned to remote learning on Thursday, when a number of students and staff either tested positive or were forced to isolate because of COVID-19.
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News Photo by Crystal Nelson
Carl Seiter (far left) superintendent for Hillman Community Schools and Atlanta Community Schools, addresses the Hillman school board on Monday.
HILLMAN The Hillman Community Schools Board of Education on Monday decided it did not want to further explore consolidation with Atlanta Community Schools.
The board rejected further exploration of consolidation in a 5 to 1 vote, with Kelly Burwell, the board’s president, casting the dissenting vote.
Trustee Shanna Firman did not attend the meeting.
Burwell said she opposed the decision because she believes there are opportunities not only for students, but also for taxpayers if the two districts were to consolidate. She said the schools could expand their curriculum without losing jobs because staff could fit into other roles.
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cnelson@thealpenanews.com
News photo by Crystal Nelson
Amy Corbin, second from right, president of the Atlanta Community Schools Board of Education, speaks during a special board workshop between the Atlanta school board and the Hillman Community Schools Board of Education held on Monday in Atlanta.
ATLANTA Talks about whether Atlanta Community Schools and Hillman Community Schools should consolidate are underway.
Trustees with the Atlanta and Hillman boards of education on Monday spent nearly 90 minutes discussing the potential for consolidation, before agreeing each board should vote on whether to pursue the matter further during its next board meeting.
No formal decisions were made during the special workshop held in Atlanta.