Parents are being warned they’ll see more students at each bus stop and the stops will be farther apart when school starts this August
Currently, Lake Orion School District buses stop 3,700 times a day. When a new transportation plan is finalized this summer, the number of stops will be around 1,200.
According to school district administrators, reducing costs in the transportation department have been under review for several years. It’s hoped spending will be decreased by $500,000.
The school district spends 44 percent more per student than the state average and 34 percent more per student than the county average.
It’s estimated transportation costs per student in Lake Orion is $495. The average is $283.
‘The current routing structure drives the additional cost,? Dan McHugh of Student Transit Solutions told the school board members on April 28.
MuHugh, along with Don Luby, worked along with school district administration and came up with a concept plan that focused on distance, safety, cutting costs and liability, but still provided the same level of service.
The two men offered their skills for free to the school district and spent between 250-300 hours on the project.
Besides the reduction in bus stops, the district will institute a ‘hub and shuttle? system for focus schools in the morning only.
This new system will consolidate all focus school students in a specific area (e.g. subdivision) onto one bus and take them to the nearest focus school (hub). The students that attend the hub schools will be at their final destination. Other students will board another bus to their school.
Shuttling private and parochial students has been used by the district for many years.
According to McHugh, the number of vehicles needed with the new routing structure would decrease by 25 percent. It could reduce the number of bus drivers needed by 15.
‘This reduces a lot of miles. Routes will be more direct. Most sudents are actually on the bus less time,? McHugh said.
‘In effect, rather than seeing 20 students on a bus, it will now be full to capacity,? LO School Superintendent Dr. Craig Younkman said.
To increase efficiency, school times will be adjusted. The high school will start eight minutes earlier. One middle school’s (not yet determined) start and stop time will be 20 minutes ahead of the other two middle schools.
Focus elementary schools? end time is eight minutes later and all focus elementary schools are grouped together at a later start time.
It’s estimated that 91 percent of high school and middle school students will be within a half mile of bus stop. It’s expected that no elementary student will have to walk more than a half mile.
High school students will now be required to preregister this spring to ride a bus. This will help the transportation department to determine who’s driving a vehicle and make the bus riding student count more exact.
Transportation director Jim Farrand cautioned parents to give his department time to work out the fine details of the new routes. No routes have actually been run yet.
‘This is conceptual. Nothing is written in stone,? he added. ‘Actually, this is not any different than what we do every year (before school starts).
Parents will be notified a week before school starts of their child’s bus stop.
School officials will conduct open meetings for parents throughout the month to explain the proposed changes in the routing structure.
Times are: May 6, 7 p.m. at Stadium; May 10, 7:30 p.m. at Pine Tree; May 10, 6:30 p.m. at Scripps; May 11, 7 p.m. at Blanche Sims; May 11, 7 p.m. at Waldon; May 17, 7 p.m. at Webber; May 25, 6 p.m. at Oakview; June 3, 7 p.m. at Carpenter.