Ypsilanti school board pledges consolidated busing will improve after first week of frustrations
After a week of busing marked by complaints and delays for many, members of the Ypsilanti school board apologized and promised improvements are coming to the new, consolidated transportation department.
The Washtenaw Intermediate School District is now providing transportation for the Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Willow Run districts, a change that wasn't as smooth as most hoped — most notably in Ypsilanti. School board members told stories of their own frustrations tonight, too.
“I know a lot of people are working to make it better, but we need to admit we had issues this week that weren’t acceptable,” said Trustee Kira Berman, who said her daughter was dropped off 20 minutes late to school Monday morning. “A lot of people in this district are working hard to make sure that we have an acceptable transportation system.”
Ypsilanti school board members pledged to get the district's busing issues solved.
Board members said they were told horror stories about transportation issues all week and realized the impact the problems were having on normal school days.
School board Vice President Linda Horne said anger was being felt at all levels.
“When the kids are late they’re frustrated, (parents are) frustrated, I’m frustrated, their teachers are frustrated,” she said.
Superintendent Dedrick Martin said the district could have done better working with the WISD before the school year.
He said the administration was taking corrective measures, including updating the student data system daily to give the most accurate address information, training drivers further and providing more WISD staff to answer and return phone calls from parents.
“We’re not where we need to be, and we know that,” Martin said. “We’re going to continue to work at that.”
In other business, the board approved its goals for the 2010-11 school year. The six-goal list included:
- Adopting and continuing a responsible deficit reduction plan.
- Adopting a five-year strategic plan for the district.
- Continuing to monitor the implementation of the district bond initiative.
- Monitoring the implementation of technology to support educational goals.
- Advocating for the redress of structural financial problems in the state of Michigan that limit education opportunities.
- Continuing to promote the district.
Board President David Bates said promoting the district’s image is an important goal of his because he believes Ypsilanti schools have much to offer.
“Sitting here at the board table, you usually hear the worst (things about the district),” he said. “But, if you get out in the classrooms, there’s a lot of good things going on, a lot of exciting things going on.”
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.
Comments
MGoYpsi
Thu, Sep 23, 2010 : 9:39 p.m.
Mr. Bates, having a terrible bus system doesn't help promote the district. Many people have given up on the bus system and found alternate methods if they can. The sad fact is that they shouldn't have to. Taxpayers and kids deserve better. "Superintendent Dedrick Martin said the district could have done better working with the WISD before the school year." Well, why didn't they? Isn't it the administrators job to plan ahead? It has been a frustrating start to the school year. I guess that is what we get when the board hires an inexperienced superintendent.
jns131
Wed, Sep 15, 2010 : 10:18 a.m.
Proudparent? Then they did not retire. If they did and WISD did hire them at $22.50? Then WISD lied to everyone and is giving preferential treatment. Curious to hear this.
sad day
Wed, Sep 15, 2010 : 9:03 a.m.
Is David Houle running the Ypsilanti district into the ground? Sounds exactly what happened to Willow Run. The micro management of Ypsilanti administration is very close to have things blow up in their face. What a joke.
sad day
Wed, Sep 15, 2010 : 8:57 a.m.
our children see these bus drivers the first thing in the morning and the last thing every afternoon. Imagine the frustration of these children when they put in a 10 hour day. I think these districts deserve just what they got.... They sold out the children that depend on us as the most. Their transportation to school sets their moods and attitudes for the entire day. Shame on you Ypsilanti Public Schools. Admit you were wrong and call back the drivers you laid off.
proudparent
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 12:21 p.m.
@jns131 they are getting way more than 4 hours a day. i have talked to them personally. More like 6 to 8 hours a day. Some of them have complete routes.
jns131
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 9:28 a.m.
WISD only hired half of the original Ann Arbor drivers and monitors and hired new drivers to fill in the missing routes. The retired drivers are making 22.50 an hour, but this is only temporary and they are only allowed 4 hours per day. WISD has no clue as to what they are doing when it comes to handling this type of job. Drivers and monitors do leave when something better comes along. The consolidated districts are still having issues from what I am hearing and I am glad not to be part of this mess.
Steven Harper Piziks
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 9:23 a.m.
No one wants to pay for a well-funded, efficient school transportation system, so we get a crappy, poorly-run one instead. You get what you pay for.
proudparent
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
Im more irritated to hear that they are paying retired bus drivers 22.50 a hour and they cant even get kids home in a timely and orderly fashion. While the people who worked there before and were hired back are only making 13.00 a hour. I see why its going down the tubes. I wouldnt be rushing to do a job where someone else is making double while doing the same thing. It just doesnt make sense. Workers are not standing for it, and there quitting every second. WISD cant get drivers to stay when they know their being used.
mcskippy
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 8:02 a.m.
"Funny how Ypsi got rid of their Transportation department the same year that they are using the money allotted for a new Transportation building to re-do the administration building." Actually, the work on the administration building has always been part of the work allocated as part of the 2007 bond issue.
In Question
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 7:51 a.m.
Yeah, Right! When are the parents, taxpayers, voters going to see that all these overpaid administrators are doing is cutting money from the students and putting it in things for themselves? Fancy buildings, created positions at six figure salaries, ect. Come on people, WAKE UP! Funny how Ypsi got rid of their Transportation department the same year that they are using the money allotted for a new Transportation building to re-do the administration building.
SonnyDog09
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 6:45 a.m.
Is Ypsilanti the only district of the three with "problems"?
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Sep 14, 2010 : 12:55 a.m.
I think it's the right approach, but they need brighter minds running the show. I agree they're in over their heads at the moment. I could not even park at the school today picking up my kid. It was a mess. Only the people willing to park in the handicapped spots were getting in and out smoothly, and I won't do that.
proudparent
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 11:53 p.m.
This consolidating buses idea was a joke, hopefully now they will see that it isnt working, and it wont work having WISD running it. Their way in over there heads with this. They dont have a clue about transportation. A child in Ann Arbor was on the bus for over 90 minutes before they even got home. This is a mess!