Emergency Hard Surface Road Plan

The Cardinal Community School developed an emergency hard surface route plan.

The purpose of this plan is to provide a bus transportation system on days when it is not possible to run the buses on gravel roads. In situations such as drifted or icy country gravel roads, or soft surface gravel roads, this plan will be implemented.

Announcement of Plan

Announcement concerning the implementation of the Emergency Hard Surface Route plan will be made on the radio and television stations listed below. Announcements will also be made on the Cardinal website and the Cardinal Facebook page.

Stations to be Notified

Albia: KIIC, 96.7FM
Ottumwa: KBIC, 1240AM; KRKN-KISS 101.5 FM; KLEE 1480AM; KOTM 97.7FM
Fairfield: KMCD-KICK96 1570AM
Kirksville/Ottumwa: KTVO TV Channel 3

The decision for implementing this plan will normally be made no later than 6:30 a.m. If there is a 2-hour delay, all start times in the morning will be two hours later. In addition to the Call-Em-All notification system, the school may send out a text message. Please make sure to have your current phone number updated with the admin office for this service. You can also sign up for notifications online.

Parents should contact their bus driver to determine a pick-up spot along the hard surface route. Country students will be picked up along the hard surface route. If you have any questions regarding these times, please feel free to contact your student’s bus driver or the school. The plan is listed below.

Emergency Hard Surface Route Plan

Updated October 20, 2023

Bus #1: Kirstin Thrasher (226-8110)

Route will start in Eldon at approximately 7:35 a.m. Then proceed to Hwy 16 and 42nd St. at 7:45 a.m. before dropping off at the school. The route will be reversed after school with drop off at 42nd St. at 3:53 p.m.

Bus #2 Allison Metcalf (455-8359)

Route will begin at Eldon at 7:20 a.m. and make all normal town stops. Then proceed on Hwy. 16 to HS and Elem. All afternoon drop-offs start at approx. 4:00 p.m.

Bus #3 Denise Radtke (680-6951)

Route will begin at 7:15 a.m. and will proceed with all Eldon town stops.

Bus #4: Todd Fite (980-8226)

Route will begin at Smokin’ Bones at 7:25 a.m., and then proceed down old Highway 34 to 16 to school making all normal stops on 34. The afternoon route will be in reverse beginning at approx. 4:00 p.m.

Bus #5: Erin Long (799-4360)

Route will remain the same.

Bus #6: Ron Scherer (455-8084)

Route will begin at the beginning of hard surface Ash Avenue south of Batavia at 7:20 a.m. It will proceed north to Batavia and make all town stops on the hard surface. Then will proceed to pick-up at BP Station at 7:35 a.m. The afternoon route will be reversed with drop off at the BP in Batavia at 4:00 p.m. Then all regular town and hard surface stops.

Bus # 7: Shane Christy (799-3533)

Route will begin at approximately 7:10 a.m. on Competine Road, at the intersection of 90th Street continuing onto Bladensburg, then travel on Competine Road to Highway #34. He will then go on Highway 34 into Agency and make his normal Agency stops, go south at the BP, turn around and proceed to Cardinal Schools. The afternoon route will be the same approx. 4:00 p.m.

Bus #9: Jennifer Lamansky (319-721-0498)

Route will begin at the BP at 7:10 a.m and will leave the BP at 7:20 a.m. Then the bus will make all normal town stops. The afternoon route for pickup at the BP will be 4:00 p.m.

Bus #10 Bob Pumphery (799-3536)

Route will begin in Selma Park picking up at 7:25 a.m. and will drop off at Selma Park at 4:00 p.m.

Bus #11: Jen Spurgeon (680-5973)

Route will remain the same.

Bus #12: Ken Wilcoxson (954-2740)

Route will begin at Smokin’ Bones at 7:25 a.m., and then proceed down old Highway 34 to 16 to school making all normal stops. The afternoon route will be in reverse beginning at approx. 4:00 p.m. The drop-off time at Smoking Bones will remain the same as a regular day.

Bus #13: Jake Saner (677-0456)

Route will begin at South BP on 63 on the North side at 7:20 a.m. and will proceed to school. Afternoon drop-off will be 4:10 p.m. at the South BP.

Bus #14: Maggie Metcalf (641-455-8358)

Route will begin in Selma Park picking up at 7:15 a.m. Then proceed to all normal town stops. The afternoon route will be in reverse beginning at approx. 3:45 p.m.

Bus #15: Dan Hamre (799-8641)

Route will begin at 7:00 a.m. at Wapello County Grain Elevator then proceed south to the normal Agency town stops, including Smoking Bones last. All afternoon drop-offs will begin at approx. 4:00 p.m. The drop-off time at Smoking Bones will remain the same as a regular day.

When this plan is utilized in the morning, it will also be utilized in the afternoon. Students will ride the same bus home at night as they did in the morning. No child will be let off at a country intersection unless the parent or the parent’s designated pickup person is present. Children whose parents are not present at a country intersection, or at Smoking Bones, will be returned to the Cardinal Elementary building and parents will be required to pick them up as soon as possible.

Students who live in the country who are not able to make it to a hard surface pick-up spot will not be counted absent from school if parents write a note to the school informing us of the problem.