PORT ORANGE
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
STATE OF THE COUNTY PAGE 3
VOLUME 5, NO. 7
FREE
State targets ‘fatherhood crisis’ As the House speaker decries a “fatherhood crisis” in the state, the House on Wednesday, Feb. 16, passed a wide-ranging measure that seeks to bolster fathers’ parenting skills. The House unanimously passed the measure (HB 7065), which deals largely with the Department of Children and Families and proposes changes that would prioritize resources for fathers and help for current and former foster children. A main part of the bill would direct the department to contract for the creation of the “Responsible Fatherhood Initiative.” The department would contract with an entity to launch a website and distribute other materials that would inform fathers on effective parenting. The fatherhood initiative also would include a print, television and social media campaign.
• MARCH 2022
The ‘Chicago’ Journals
YOUR TOWN OUR LADY OF HOPE KOFC HELPS FOOD PANTRY
Courtesy photo
The cast of Spruce Creek High School’s “Chicago: High School Edition,” which opens Feb. 18-19. Julia Ambrose is on the far right of the front row. Photo courtesy Council 8086
Jackie Dailey (left) receives a check for $1,170.
Our Lady of Hope Knights of Columbus Council 8086 recently donated $1,170 to the parish food bank to purchase needed food and supplies. In addition, the council holds regular food drives to replenish the pantry. An upcoming initiative for the Lenten season – which begins March 2 – will be the annual Forty Cans for Forty Days among council members, with all donations presented to the parish pantry. Grand Knight Roger Packard said: “We enjoy doing charity work for our community, and look forward to doing even more outreach in the future.”
PLAY SENIOR SOFTBALL
Local Postal Customer
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID DAYTONA BCH FL PERMIT #447
The Volusia County Senior Softball league is a 50 and older Men’s Senior Softball league. Spring season begins March 29, with games at Derbyshire Park in Daytona Beach on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Visit www.vcssoftball.com or call Joe Daly at 954-732-0992.
The other side of the curtain, at Spruce Creek High School
JULIA AMBROSE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
What’s it like to be in a high school musical? I happen to be a murderess, Annie, in an upcoming, iconic show, along with several Ormond Beach residents, so I’ve been keeping a journal since we started rehearsals. Here’s what it’s like from
the other side of the curtain, at “Chicago: High School Edition.” JAN. 10
The cast has just come back from winter break and we are ready to get to work. Before the break, we focused on vocal rehearsals with our vocal director, Timothy Wilds, and now we will start the process
of adding choreography and blocking to the show. We have about two months until opening, and everyone is really excited for the show to pick up.
cally for this show.” Lina has learned how to juggle for the number “Razzle Dazzle,” in which we create a circus effect about the art of concealing the truth and lying in court.
JAN. 11
JAN. 12
I spoke with Lina Nasr. She said, “I’m ecstatic to show off my skill of juggling that I have been practicing specifi-
My best friend Maegan Feldman and I go to the vending SEE CHICAGO PAGE 6
‘We deserve better’ Volusia County school bus drivers ask for pay rate increase
JARLEENE ALMENAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
A group of bus drivers in Volusia County spoke at the School Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8 to voice a united plea: Give us a living wage. Sporting a yellow shirt that read “I carry precious cargo,” bus operator Jenny Diaz told the board that bus drivers have long endured poor wages despite their high level of responsibilities. Bus drivers are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities, she said, while often dealing with rudeness and disrespect from parents and students, all while feeling unappreciated and undervalued. “Day to day, I come to work even when I’m sick because I know we’re short on drivers and attendants, and I don’t want the kids on the streets waiting for long periods of times to be picked up,” Diaz said. She shared that she makes $13.26 an hour, though she has worked for VCS for four years, and spoke about costs of living continuing to rise. The current rate of pay for bus drivers are $11.44 for training and $13 an hour for contracted employees. “We safeguard the lives of hundreds of children every day,” Diaz said. “That’s a lot
of risk and responsibilities. We deserve better.” In an email to the Observer, Volusia County Schools spokesperson Kelly Schulz said that in the fall of 2019, the district had 202 bus operators transporting 23,000 students. At this moment, the district stated they have 172 bus operators transporting 24,000 students. There are 50 vacancies that need to be filled. “We are utilizing everybody possible to meet the needs of our students during this challenging time, and we are truly at the bottom of our resource barrel so to speak,” Schulz wrote. “We are using everyone in our organization who is authorized to drive or be an attendant, even though they are now serving in other capacities.” Volusia County’s bus drivers are not alone in their plight. According to The News Service of Florida, there are proposals moving through the House and Senate that aim to address the shortages of school workers, including bus drivers, as districts around the state experience low staffing levels for such employees. House Bill 1017 and Senate Bill 1576 would require school districts to fund incentives to recruit and retail support staff, subject to the Legislature providing funds for
File photo by Jarleene Almenas
Volusia County Schools bus drivers and attendants are asking the district for a pay rate increase.
the effort. Superintendents would have to identify positions within their district with at least 20% of jobs vacant. Schulz said the district is experiencing delays in the hiring process due to COVID-19, and that they did lose some drivers due to their health concerns, but that the district is “hiring ambitious new drivers, many who never considered driving a bus before.” The district aims to hire at least 20 more drivers by the end of the fiscal year. Since the beginning of the year, the district has hired two new bus assistants and one operator, according to personnel action items brought before the School Board for approval. Four bus assistants and four bus operators have resigned.
“We have days that we’re stressed to the point that it’s unbearable,” said bus operator Mark Irwin at the School Board meeting. “The buses are overloaded. The kids’ behavior is terrible. Parents are angry with us, and we’re short handed. We’re running multiple routes and running late.” Fellow bus operator Sheila Rush said she’d been a bus driver for over 20 years and still doesn’t make a living wage. She shared she had been “in tears” last month when her 16-year-old granddaughter shared she made just $2 less than her an hour working at a Wendy’s fast food restaurant. “I’m here, not because of the money, because there’s nothing there, but it’s because of the heart,” Rush said.