Raises Hope to Retain Teachers
Over the Summer the Siuslaw School Board approved dynamic raises for the faculty. A move that will have lasting effects. Tomorrow ushers in the official start of classes at Siuslaw and this year teachers will be returning to the classroom, looking forward to increased pay for their efforts. Superintendent Andy Grzeskowiak and the District board signed off on the largest raise in two decades last June. This is a move that will help retain teachers, says Union Representative Amy Tregoning.
“We can retain these teachers, that stability is going to help those kids in the long run to they always have that teacher to come back to.”
For the complete story on teacher raises, tune in this week to Our Town.
Pedestrian Enforcement
Last week’s pedestrian enforcement was a success according to information released by the City of Florence. During the Wednesday afternoon event Florence police made 13 stops and issued 12 cited individuals for 12 infractions during the 3-hour enforcement period. Florence Police also reported that 7 citizens walked by and expressed their gratitude for the efforts in educating drivers on Pedestrian safety. Drivers were made aware of the laws governing crosswalks, both marked and unmarked.
School Bus Safety
This is back to school week, and that means buses will be on the road carrying precious cargo. School Resource Officer Hailey Coons shared some information on school bus safety. She reports that the Oregon Department of Transportation show serious crashes in school zones are up 109% and distracted driving crashes are up 83 percent in recent years. Officer Coons says she want drivers to remember that school zones are active from 7 am until 5pm daily, not just in the morning and afternoon. Speed limits through school zones are 20 mph. Florence Police Chief John Pitcher also added that they will be taking a careful look at school bus routes and may even follow some of the routes to ensure drivers are acting according to the laws that govern driving around buses.