UPDATE: Interim Asst. Bus Director Hired

UPDATE: The Beachwood Board of Education approved Lisa Brockwell's contract at Monday's Board of Education meeting. 

The Board approved the hire of Margaret Kaiser as the interim director of transportation at an Oct. 17 special meeting.

Kaiser was at Parma schools from 2003 to 2010, and was the district's transportation director from 2005-2010. She will earn $49,000 through the end of the school year.

Brockwell, also a Woodmere Village Council member, has worked at Beachwood City Schools for 26 years.

Brockwell said she hopes to help make the system smoother for parents and employees and that she is considering applying for the permanant position next school year.

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The will consider approving the hire of Lisa Brockwell as Interim Assistant Director of Transportation at tonight’s meeting.

Brockwell will earn $34,600 through the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

Superintendent Rich Markwardt said in September that he plans to hire a permanent director for the 2012-2013 school year.

The district outsourced its transportation department last year — the district’s drivers were laid off and hired by CBS — and the bus drivers filed an unfair labor practice suit because they were in the process of forming a union.

Markwardt said the district made the move to save money and improve operations.

Beachwood City Schools offered a settlement, re-hiring the drivers to the district and ending the contract with CBS to manage the routes.

The district and the drivers, who merged with the Beachwood Federation of Teachers, are in negotiations now over pay and benefits. 

The Board of Education meets tonight at 7:30 at the The agenda is available here.

*Editor's Note: The original headline for this story reported that the board would consider the hire of the interim transportation director.