By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Parents and employees in the Brandon school district are still battling the possibility of outsourcing transportation employees.
Several contested the upcoming decision during the Monday night Brandon School Board of Trustees meeting.
“I’m not here to talk about numbers, I’m here to talk about safety of the kids on the buses, because that’s my job,” said transportation employee Jean Paul Healis. “I’m a mechanic, I’ve been here 13 years. Everything I keep hearing is ‘they’re going to keep the same people, they’re going to keep the same drivers, everything is going to be fine.’ Well, it’s not, because what they’re going to do, especially in the garage, they’re going to come in and bid out the cheapest parts possible to put in the school buses.”
The debate over outsourcing stems from the Jan. 15 school board meeting where the board of education approved 7-0 a request for proposals for transportation in regards to busing. The board is seeking possible outsourcing as a way to save funds for the district since enrollment continues to decline.
The Teamsters Local #214 represents 14 district bus drivers and two mechanics. Due to downsizing the members have declined from about 32 in 2010. The next board meeting is scheduled for April 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Signs have been appearing throughout Brandon Township, asking people to say no to privatization and to save their bus drivers.
“Privatizing is not a good idea. What can we do to sway you to not even consider it?” asked Dennise Vandenbaush of the school board.

She was one of many residents who spoke at the board meeting on Monday night.
“My one reason that I’m going to give you is my kids,” said Ann Marie Swanson. “Today is my daughter’s birthday, and she wanted to come up here with me and tell you how sad she would be if her bus driver was gone. She loves her bus driver, she feels comfortable with her bus driver, and ultimately the two people who interact with my kids most are their teachers and their bus drivers.”
Many parents had similar comments to the board about safety of their children and their love of the current bus drivers. One said she had an incident where her child was not where he said he would be, and her bus driver drove around looking for him, while a custodial employee couldn’t tell her where the office was so she could find someone to help her. Another said that her child brought home a photo of her bus driver’s dog to put on their fridge, despite never having met the dog.
Though the board did not discuss transportation at the Monday night meeting, parents and residents are continuing to voice their concerns on privatization.