Four Three Rivers High School track and field athletes who qualified for state were able to be recognized in-person Monday evening.
Max Burg, Sullivan Zietlow, Lamonta Stone, and Blake Stewart accepted certificates from Coach Jason Muckel and Superintendent Nikki Nash. The recognition took place during a Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education meeting.
“It was a great year, these guys did a great job, and every single one of them are coming back next year,” Muckel said. “We’re pretty excited to see what they can do with one more year here.”
In addition to the four athletes present, Three Rivers Community Schools also recognizes:
- Kyle Copenhaver and Elijah Craig, who qualified for state in track and field
- Amaria Currier and Paige McDonald, who made honorable mention and the third team, respectively, at All-State for girls soccer
- Ava Forman, who made the first team at All-State for softball
Later in the meeting, Trustee John McDonough had a key question for Transportation Supervisor Kenni Jean Schrader.
“Do you think these are the best choice?” McDonough asked about electric vehicle school buses.
“Today, I do,” Schrader said. “I’ve looked at the matrix between clean diesel and propane. The benefit to propane is that it’s a cleaner-burning energy. I personally haven’t seen enough data that could provide enough information to convince me that there’s any savings to it.”
Three Rivers Community Schools currently has a total of 17 buses, including two electric vehicles. To date, the district has had an eight-year journey with electric buses, including five years of them as school vehicles.
“When we received our buses in ’19, there were 45 electric school buses in the entire country. Most of those were in California,” Schrader said.
In 2024, there are now 8,000 electric school buses nationwide.
“(They) provide cleaner environments for students, providing them with a better learning opportunity while they are on these school buses. I’m very proud and grateful that Three Rivers continues that mission to do that for our students,” Schrader said.
Electric vehicle buses currently cost $385,000. An ADA-compliant bus with a wheelchair lift costs $400,000.
“Right now, a type D school bus, diesel, is running $230,000,” Schrader said. “What we’re really starting to see is that playing field leveling out a little bit. We’re starting to see the cost of EV coming down a little bit. On the other hand, we’re also starting to see the cost of internal combustion engine school buses rising.”
- Monday was the first day of Three Rivers Community Schools’ 2024-2025 education year. McDonough thanked administrators and staff for providing students and families with a successful first day.
- Three Rivers Community Schools is gaining five new employees: Jenny DeRosia, a fifth grade teacher at Park Elementary, Vicki Essex and Casey Middleton, special education teachers at Three Rivers Middle School, Misty Maina, an ELA teacher at Three Rivers Middle School, and Abigail Shambo, a fifth grade teacher at Norton Elementary.
- Upcoming district events include the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, Aug. 29 at Armstrong Field. It includes gates opening at 6 p.m. and the actual cutting at 6:40 p.m. District-wide open houses at Three Rivers Middle School, the field house, music suite and transportation department office will take place in the spring.
- Vice President Melissa Bliss, Treasurer Julia Awe, and Trustee Linda Baker were absent from Monday’s meeting.
- The next school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16.
Frank Stanko is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
