Published: August 06, 2008 10:03 pm            

NIAGARA-WHEATFIELD: District looks to cut bus routes, cut costs

With unpredictable prices, the district is changing its busing policies

The Niagara-Wheatfield Board of Education is OK with fielding calls from angry parents if it means saving some money on bus fuel.

Terry Eisenman, transportation director for the school district, told the board Wednesday night he’s ready to start implementing some stricter busing policies to save money, but it might take some time for parents and students to get used to them.

Last year, the district went $105,000 over budget in transportation and with unstable fuel costs, early bus trips used by only handfuls of students might have to change. Currently 11 buses are designated for handling the early routes, which run three days a week.

One option Eisenman offered was a “reservation system” where students or parents would have to notify the bus garage they planned on riding the early bus on a given day. Otherwise, the bus wouldn’t make a run.

“Sometimes these buses go out and cover their run and they don’t pick up anybody,” Eisenman said. “Other times, we get a handful of kids. But on the average, those 11 early buses are picking up 20 to 25 students. That’s a fairly expensive proposition at $4.18 per gallon of diesel fuel.”

Another option Eisenman said might be easier are designating stops. Rather than going past homes, buses could pick up students at firehalls or schools.

“At 25 or 30 stops, we can do the early trips with about half the number of buses, half the miles, and students would be responsible for getting to these group stops if they want to get in early,” Eisenman said. “We could do it in only five or six buses and save about 10,000 miles a year. That saves at least $5,000 in diesel at $4 a gallon and $12,000 in wages.”

Different sports teams that are taking separate buses to the same venue may have to start sharing trips and teams traveling to farther matches in places like Binghamton and Oswego might have to start paying their own way with funds from their booster clubs, Eisenman added.

Board member Kathy Fleming suggested more “centralized” bus stops for pickup, but Eisenman said it’s already district policy and complaints from parents have eroded compliance.

“It has evolved over the years to what I would call a complaint system,” Eisenman said. “Whoever seemed to yell at us the loudest got a stop in front of their house. I’m exaggerating a little bit, but it’s something that’s going take a while for us to start saying at $4 a gallon, we’re going back to curb stops, which is actually our policy now.”

Board members said they would support stricter policies, even if parents didn’t like it. Don Moyer Jr. praised Eisenman for looking at cost-saving measures and Michele Hoerner said with high prices, the consolidation was justifiable. Fleming said parents will have to get used to the changes because the costs are too high.

“If you start getting angry calls, I think the entire board would be supportive,” Fleming told Eisenman. “We understand the cost of gas and if we’re truly trying to save money, this is the time to go ahead and push through.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.