Goodrich – In an effort to shave $80,000 from the school budget, five district bus drivers will be pink slipped.
Interim Superintendent Larry Allen said less drivers will mean fewer bus routes.
At the Aug. 11 school board meeting, Allen asked board members to combine elementary school bus routes’the change, say bus drivers, will bring the number of students on the buses closer to maximum capacity.
District Transportation Supervisor Cindy Forsythe presented the plan, explaining the Fenton School District found the program to be successful.
She said after students are picked up at their prospective bus stops in the morning, they may be shuttled to a school parking lot, where they would be shuttled again onto buses that would take them to their elementary school.
‘Buses will be color coded to match each student’s name tag which will have each child’s name and address,? said Forsythe.
Forsythe said the downsize will increase district revenue.
‘Our daily costs such as fuel, repair and maintenance will be lower.?
A motion by Trustee Michael Thorp was to accept the proposal, but only if the idea would be run as a pilot program.
The board OK’d the move 4 to 3, combining elementary bus routes as a pilot program, which Forsythe said would be in time for the first day of school, Sept. 2.
Board members in favor were President Michael Tripp, Thorp, Jeff Engleman and Doug Tetmeyer. Opposed were James Bertrand, Linda Jackson and Timothy Zirnhelt.
Jackson is concerned about shuttling elementary school students to a parking lot to board a second bus.
‘I never thought I would vote against an idea that would save our district $80,000, but I don’t have enough definitive information to make a decision in favor of this idea,? said Jackson. ‘Students at this age forget things on the bus, this idea will make it harder to retrieve those items. Also, how will we know for sure that students are getting on the right bus? I am also concerned about the amount of time this will take, which could cut into instructional time.?
Bertrand said he was very disappointed with the board’s decision to approve the new plan without having any clear information..
Zirnhelt was concerned about the kindergartners.
‘I don’t like the idea of kindergartners being asked to board another bus in a school parking lot, I just don’t like the way it sounds.?
During public comments, Goodrich school bus drivers pleaded with board members to table the vote until they had a chance to give more input.
‘I can’t believe the board voted to approve combining the elementary bus routes before they even know how it is all going to work,? said Betty Butterworth, district bus driver.
Butterworth said four routes were combined during recent summer programs, which she believes produced inefficient routes.
‘We had buses on the same roads, illegal stops and turnarounds at curves. A parent had to take her student on the opposite side of M-15 to catch the bus. It produced unequal routes that ranged from 30 minutes to an hour and ten minutes, and this was just four routes,? said Butterworth.
Karen Lovell, custodial maintenance parapro for transportation, said, ‘Savings should not trump safety no matter the amount. My child is worth more than your savings, by far.?
Forsythe said this program was successful at the Fenton School District.
‘I would like to research their safety record,? said Lovell.
With the loss of five drivers, Lovell said transportation is being asked to eliminate two high school/middle school and five elementary school runs.
‘We need to work with the district to iron out the wrinkles,? she said. ‘I don’t want to panic anyone or frighten parents, however there are safety concerns here and questions that need to be answered. By no means am I suggesting that all students be transported at maximum comfort levels. I am, however, suggesting that we do not transport at excessively crowded levels.?