Southport selectmen won't intervene in school bus driver vacancy
Adam Climo, left, sought Southport selectmen's advice Feb. 12 in resolving the school committee's vacant bus driver position. At right is Wyatt Colby. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register
Adam Climo, left, sought Southport selectmen's advice Feb. 12 in resolving the school committee's vacant bus driver position. At right is Wyatt Colby. BILL PEARSON/Boothbay Register
Southport selectmen will not intervene in the vacant school bus driver position. On Feb. 12, the board called it a "personnel matter" after two Southport Central School parents asked for their assistance. Parents Colby Sawyer and Adam Climo requested selectboard help after attending the Feb. 6 school committee's zoom meeting where several parents expressed concerns about the bus driver vacancy.
Sawyer and Climo explained since the former bus driver resigned a couple weeks ago, transportation has been intermittent. "We are kept informed through texts letting us know if the bus will be late or not coming at all," Climo said. The problem occurred Jan. 31 when former school bus driver Matt Thibault resigned. According to Sawyer and Climo, Thibault had requested compensation more in line with the Community School District's in Boothbay Harbor and school officials denied the request.
Parents are also concerned about the pay disparity between the Community School District (Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor) and Southport school. Climo and Sawyer hoped selectmen would take action to enable school officials to offer a more competitive salary.
Sawyer said the CSD paid drivers $33.88 per hour with full benefits. "Southport pays about $24 per hour with partial benefits. Matt told the school he 'didn't think that was fair.' This has gone on for a couple years before he resigned."
The two were hoping selectmen would call a special town meeting to ask residents to pay the bus driver position a more competitive rate. But all three selectmen opposed the proposition.
"This is a personnel matter, not an emergency. This is under the school committee's jurisdiction, not ours," Selectman Gerry Gamage said. "But there is more to this story than you have told us. Matt accepted the position at the beginning of the school year knowing the salary. You just can't ask for more money after the budget has already been approved."
Sawyer and Climo said they'd continue lobbying the school committee about the bus driver salary. Selectman Smith Climo also left them another option. "You can always run for the school board," he said.
In other action, selectmen approved a June 16 town hall rental for the Friends of Southport Historical Society meeting. Selectmen meet next at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19 in the town hall.
