Lincoln schools to maintain transportation services
The Lincoln Consolidated school district won't make reductions in its transportation.
The board voted unanimously Monday not to cut any school bus routes and runs, but is looking for different ways to save on transportation.
Superintendent Lynn Cleary presented the board with a list of cuts she did and did not recommend, and transportation was among the most fiscally significant. Despite the potential savings, Cleary said she didn’t think eliminating busing was a good option.
The Lincoln school board has decided not to enact transportation reductions.
“I did not put transportation on that list because I think it would be chaotic to the families, and, quite frankly, we do not need that impact on our education at this time,” she said.
Instead, Cleary is looking at two alternatives. With help from the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, she is examining how much outsourcing busing would save the district, but pledged to give the transportation department the chance to match the savings once she received the numbers.
“It is my intent to look into outsourcing, but I will go back to the membership and allow them to match our savings,” she said. “I think that is the fair way to do it, but with the understanding we cannot keep operating the way we have. That’s what all of us want, is to save dollars for the district, balance the budget and hopefully save some jobs.”
The district will also look into busing at a countywide level, which would involve developing strategies with neighboring districts to cut down on what Cleary called “deadhead” miles - miles in which the buses travel without any students.
She said a district in Washtenaw County, which she did not name, recently did a study and found it could save $1.3 million by trimming all the “deadhead” miles from the day.
Should the district choose this option, it would keep Lincoln school bus drivers behind the wheel of Lincoln school buses.
Cleary added she has met with superintendents of neighboring districts to discuss consolidating administrative operations, which she said would mean fewer central office administrators.
“That’s the direction we have to go until the state rethinks how they fund education,” she said.
The district is also looking into moving the roughly 300 students who participate in the multiage program at Bessie Hoffman onto the main district campus.
Currently, students from all corners of the 75-square-mile district are bused to that school, which lies eight miles south of the campus in Wayne County.
The board estimates it could save about $200,000 in operational costs by moving the kids to the main campus and using Bessie Hoffman in a reduced role next year.
The students at the school receive a unique educational delivery and are taught according to their “developmental age” instead of their actual age. The program is at capacity and is popular among parents, several of who expressed concern over moving the kids onto the main campus.
“That would be a huge bummer if they ended up in Brick’s basement and forgotten about,” said Lauren Van Zomeren, who has child in the program.
Board President Kim Samuelson sought to reassure her the program would be kept intact.
“We’re looking at several options and no decisions have been made,” she said. “We need to do what’s best for all students, and it will be an educationally sound decision.”
The district will also delay switching to a trimester system as planned because the change would require hiring four more teachers.
“I can’t ask for four new teachers when we’re talking about outsourcing,” Cleary said.
Other minor measures the board approved include significantly cutting back on paper mailing and communications with the community, along with eliminating Sprint “Direct Connect” phones that drivers use to communicate. The drivers also have radios in the buses they can use to communicate.
The board additionally approved a freeze on schools' discretionary budgets, which means any supply purchases must first be approved by Cleary.
In total, Cleary hopes to see Lincoln schools save about $200,000 from the mid-year cuts.
Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
jns131
Fri, Dec 18, 2009 : 10:07 a.m.
Ann Arbor Public Schools will start taking bids for its transportation department in January. AAPS will keep its buses but will privatize the drivers and the monitors. This was announced today. If you disagree with this call the board or show up for the fund meetings starting January 7. All privatization means is that the drivers can strike without warning and union drivers cannot. Privatized drivers are only in it for the money and can be a hazard to the children. Happy Holidays.
Likearock
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 2:01 p.m.
Question - When a school outsources busing who owns the buses? Does the contractor buy them or lease them from the school? Is the school still responsible for the maintenance and fuel? Regardless, there are still many efficiencies to be gained in the busing program. 3 elementary buses go down my rural road - that 2 too many! Moving the BH program to the main campus (Redner I'm hearing) is a start but I think the Childs students living outside of the Childs zone should ride the Redner/Brick/Model buses and then shuttle over to their school. That's the way it used to be done with the old Jr High (now Bessie) back in my time as a LCS student.
jns131
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 1:19 p.m.
Ann Arbor is planning to keep its fleet. Whether or not they privatize the drivers is up to the drivers to convince AAPS not to. I do agree, there are other ways to cut costs instead of cutting the line on the first line of school contact, the drivers who meet them every single day. Great to hear Lincoln. I heard Livonia also decided not to go the way of cutting hi school bussing as well.
jay1922884
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 12:35 p.m.
I went to Lincoln. When I went (not that long ago), all the buses had were the two way radios. Why did they ever get the drivers Sprint direct connect phones? I have seen examples of outsourcing transportation. The outsourced company will bid low fro the first contract (even if they lose money on it), then by the time the next contract comes around the district has gotten rid of their buses and drivers, so they will spike their contract up to more than the school's original operating cost was. These outsourced companies are out to make a profit, so a little loss in the beginning is made up by the profits they see in the end. By the time the school realizes they have been had, then it costs them more money than they have to buy their buses back and get drivers back. So Ms. Lynn Cleary if you are reading this, PLEASE do not make this mistake. It could be one that can cost the district a lot.
emu2009
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 10:35 a.m.
I am glad to hear that transportation won't be cut in the district. I am sure there has to be other ways to cut the budget. As for the spelling bee transfers to Milan, doesn't that speak about the education they received at Lincoln? We have been in the district for 6 years and I have yet to have an issue with the education my children are receiving there.
glimmertwin
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 10:15 a.m.
The clock's ticking. They say they are looking for savings of $5 million. Emailing instead of sending bulletins home isn't going to save them all that much. Much of what I hear from the communications from Lincoln and about Lincoln are the same and have been the same. Incorporating the multi-age program into the main campus has been discussed for well over a year. Busing - I was at a board meeting last year and exactly the same topics were discussed. I understand that all of this takes time, and I guess we will have to see what happens. But this administration is starting to remind me of the last one. Sooner or later action will come from all of this. I just hope it isn't too late. By the way, my wife was telling me last night that Milan did very well in a recent spelling bee contest. She told me that the top placers were all recent transfers from Lincoln. Now that's a slap in the face, no?
Likearock
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 10:11 a.m.
Keep up the good work Lynn and BOE.
Edward
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 : 9:31 a.m.
The board showed great wisdom in NOT reducing transportation. There are certainly some costs that can be reduced within the transportation of the students, but outsourcing and/or reducing bus service should not be the solution. Districts that have outsourced have learned that it was not the best idea.