Goodrich-Students who attend the Genesee Area Skill Center (GASC) may have a different ride to school this fall.
Each school day about 50 Goodrich high school students board a district bus for the 20 minute trek to the GASC located in Mundy Township for a variety of vocational classes. That process may change this fall if a proposal to have Genesee Intemediate School buses transport students to the GASC rather than district school buses.
‘Right now we’re looking at cuts of $47 million for school districts across Genesee County,? said Tom Svitkovich, Genesee Intermediate School District superintendent.
‘A committee is looking at combining the skill center bus runs to make the process more efficient.?
While details of the plan are still under consideration, Svitkovich says a GISD bus may pick up students from Davison, Kersley and Goodrich for example and drop them off at the center. District wide a savings of about $1/2 million may be realized across the GISD.
Kim Hart, new Goodrich School District superintendent said the bus consortium would save the district approximately $13,000 to $15,000 per school year.
‘Other superintendents wanted to go ahead with the program and get it started this fall,? said Hart. It would work similar to special ed (transportation) in the past, where drivers became GISD employees. ‘It’s just in the preliminary stages, but we can run half the buses with double the kids.?
About nine years ago the GISD combined the special education transportation of 20 of the 21 schools in the Genesee County school area. The consolidation grew into a savings of more than $22 million since 1996 says Svitkovich.
‘I don’t think any drivers will lose their jobs, just some will change however,? said Svitkovich.
‘We’re going to look at the most effective way to handle busing about 2,100 students. We’ll consider privatizing the process if necessary.?