Students at Sawyer Road Elementary School in Marietta will be joined by a beehive — but not until spring.
The Marietta Board of Education voted 7-0 on Sept. 15 to approve the recommendation of Marietta City Schools Superintendent Emily Lembeck to allow the Bee Cause Observation Hive Project outside near the school's cafeteria. However, no other district schools will be approved for a beehive until at least spring 2017, to allow a full year's evaluation.
Her recommendation came upon hearing this request in August from the Sawyer Road School Governance Team (SGT), who will be responsible for all costs, including installment, maintenance or removal.
"The (b)eehive will be up and running in the (s)pring of 2016," wrote Sommer Vega, MCS director of communications, marrketing and public relations, in an email to the AJC on Tuesday.
Before the arrival of spring and the bees, the school will need to secure a beekeeper and monitors, during school holidays and vacations, to provide for their care.
Some parents did express concerns, especially those whose children have allergic reactions to bees. The parent survey showed they did not object to the hive, according to the school's principal, Susan Graves, who added that all parent emails and surveys will be kept on file.
The only concern expressed by the district's Board of Health nurse liaison is that some people do not know they are allergic to bees until they are stung.
While the school district does have the required insurance to cover potential claims, medical care from a bee sting would not be a covered claim. That means EpiPens will need to be stocked, kept current and monitored by the school nurse with instructions to all staff on how to use the EpiPens.
Also, the district will prepare legal review of agreements, post signage and issue notices to families.
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