Salem officials adopt safety plan

SALEM -- The school board is taking steps to make district pupils and its school buildings safer.
The board agreed Monday to adopt a crisis management plan aimed at dealing with a variety of emergencies.
The plan, which stresses preparedness and prompt reaction, covers subjects such as tornadoes, hostage situations, school intruders and bus accidents. Adoption of the plan is in response to an Ohio law calling for school districts to have a policy in place for responding to emergencies.
The plan replaces an informal crisis reaction program that has been in effect for years, schools Superintendent Dr. David Brobeck said.
In other business: The school district will have a new boys high school soccer coach in place next season. The board named Tim Ewing to the post.
Ewing, who is not a district teacher, has served as assistant soccer coach for the last four seasons, Brobeck said.
He will be paid about $2,500 annually for the job. Ewing replaces Tom Wright, who chose not to return as coach, Brobeck said.
The board praised Sue Davidson, a school district bus driver, who stopped her bus during her route to comfort children who were upset after seeing their cat being struck by a car.
Classes for the district's 2002-03 school year will begin Aug. 26, according to a school calendar adopted by the school board.
The calendar calls for classes to end June 6, 2003, and for graduation to take place June 1, 2003.