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Transportation faces half-million-dollar budget deficit for next year
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| Though there are no plans at this time to charge families for busing service or to eliminate routes, the Galt elementary school district is facing a half-million dollar transportation budget shortfall in 2009-2010, and all aspects of transportation are being examined. |
Already under-funded, state cuts aggravate problem in lean years
By Dana Edlund-Staff Writer
Up and down the state of California, school districts are grappling with budget deficits. From the classroom to the supply room, maintenance and staffing, districts are grappling with where to make cuts and how to keep cuts as far away from academics as possible.
One of the departments many may take for granted as part of our pubic school education system that is having to make major changes is transportation.
School districts are not mandated to provide home to school transportation for most students. With that in mind, some districts are greatly reducing bus services, even to the point of eliminating service to all but rural children or special needs students. Some districts have begun charging families a fee for the busing they provide, including the Galt Joint Union High School District that instituted a pay for ride system two years ago.
Unfortunately for most schools, the transportation situation is expected to get worse before it gets better with further cuts from the state a possibility that looms on the horizon.
The Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (GJUESD) transportation department is looking at ways to reduce a $500,000 deficit for the current school year. The department is considering many options, but charging families for bus service to school is not yet one of them.
Instead, they are seeking additional funds through grants, monitoring routes and route changes already made, and looking at the formula they use to charge the classrooms for fieldtrips.
According to Jim Bauler, assistant superintendent of the district, transportation has always been under funded from the state.
“The state formula for reimbursement originated two decades ago and does not allow for growth in a district,” said Bauler. “There are no provisions for the population of students increasing except for minimal adjustments every now and then.”
The district has made changes in the way it operates transportation in order to trim expenses. This school year the district increased the walking distance to and from school before busing is provided. The elementary school district and the high school district have entered into an agreement to share a facility and its expenses. There is just one dispatcher, one driver trainer and one director for both districts, but each district has its own buses, drivers and mechanics.
Bauler explained that transportation expenses have exceeded revenue for years. Usually, however, there is enough money in the district’s overall budget to cover the deficit. This year, however, the district is facing its own severe budget shortages, and there are no easy answers.
In May, the state of California issued a 19 percent cut to schools for transportation. According to Bauler, the district now receives only one-third of what it costs to run a bus. The current estimated cost for transportation for this school year is $770,000. The income received is $263,000. The budget is an estimation of expenses as there can be unforeseen negative circumstances like breakdowns, or the department can catch a lucky break and see fuel prices drop.
“We always have an eye on how we can save money,” said GJUESD transportation director Bruce Becker. “Running efficient routes is one of the keys to keeping our costs down. For years we received just 45 cents for every dollar we spent. It costs five dollars a mile to run a bus, including the driver, the mechanic, the administration and the fuel. We went through eight years where buses were not purchased, but a year and a half ago we had to buy three. We are moving our pre-1977 buses out of the fleet.”
With new buses costing nearly $150,000 for a basic, no frills, school bus, the district is looking into every opportunity for additional funding. The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality District offers grants to school districts to help them buy low emission buses. This is just one of the options the school district has started to investigate. The funds would be used to replace an older special needs bus. Another option is changing the formula used to determine how much a classroom is charged for field trip transportation.
“We have looked at field trips and what the district charges the classroom to operate the bus,” said Bauler. “We need to consider revising the formula. Everything is scrutinized in these tough budget times, but we are not considering charging a fee to families for bus service at this time. The state needs to revisit how they fund us, but there is no sign of that happening. We will be watching the state for signs of more cuts in January.”
The district currently owns 16 buses, including five special needs buses. The transportation department daily buses over 600 kids one-way. According to Becker, “streamlined efficient routing” is the only way the department can control its costs. This year the department revised many routes, eliminating some stops and merging others.
The elementary school district will be holding community forums on the overall budget and the deficit they are facing. Transportation and its budget deficit will be included in those discussions. If you are interested in what is happening at the district or would like to give your input, attend the meeting being held on Thursday, Nov. 12 at McCaffrey Middle School from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
One of the departments many may take for granted as part of our pubic school education system that is having to make major changes is transportation.
School districts are not mandated to provide home to school transportation for most students. With that in mind, some districts are greatly reducing bus services, even to the point of eliminating service to all but rural children or special needs students. Some districts have begun charging families a fee for the busing they provide, including the Galt Joint Union High School District that instituted a pay for ride system two years ago.
Unfortunately for most schools, the transportation situation is expected to get worse before it gets better with further cuts from the state a possibility that looms on the horizon.
The Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (GJUESD) transportation department is looking at ways to reduce a $500,000 deficit for the current school year. The department is considering many options, but charging families for bus service to school is not yet one of them.
Instead, they are seeking additional funds through grants, monitoring routes and route changes already made, and looking at the formula they use to charge the classrooms for fieldtrips.
According to Jim Bauler, assistant superintendent of the district, transportation has always been under funded from the state.
“The state formula for reimbursement originated two decades ago and does not allow for growth in a district,” said Bauler. “There are no provisions for the population of students increasing except for minimal adjustments every now and then.”
The district has made changes in the way it operates transportation in order to trim expenses. This school year the district increased the walking distance to and from school before busing is provided. The elementary school district and the high school district have entered into an agreement to share a facility and its expenses. There is just one dispatcher, one driver trainer and one director for both districts, but each district has its own buses, drivers and mechanics.
Bauler explained that transportation expenses have exceeded revenue for years. Usually, however, there is enough money in the district’s overall budget to cover the deficit. This year, however, the district is facing its own severe budget shortages, and there are no easy answers.
In May, the state of California issued a 19 percent cut to schools for transportation. According to Bauler, the district now receives only one-third of what it costs to run a bus. The current estimated cost for transportation for this school year is $770,000. The income received is $263,000. The budget is an estimation of expenses as there can be unforeseen negative circumstances like breakdowns, or the department can catch a lucky break and see fuel prices drop.
“We always have an eye on how we can save money,” said GJUESD transportation director Bruce Becker. “Running efficient routes is one of the keys to keeping our costs down. For years we received just 45 cents for every dollar we spent. It costs five dollars a mile to run a bus, including the driver, the mechanic, the administration and the fuel. We went through eight years where buses were not purchased, but a year and a half ago we had to buy three. We are moving our pre-1977 buses out of the fleet.”
With new buses costing nearly $150,000 for a basic, no frills, school bus, the district is looking into every opportunity for additional funding. The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality District offers grants to school districts to help them buy low emission buses. This is just one of the options the school district has started to investigate. The funds would be used to replace an older special needs bus. Another option is changing the formula used to determine how much a classroom is charged for field trip transportation.
“We have looked at field trips and what the district charges the classroom to operate the bus,” said Bauler. “We need to consider revising the formula. Everything is scrutinized in these tough budget times, but we are not considering charging a fee to families for bus service at this time. The state needs to revisit how they fund us, but there is no sign of that happening. We will be watching the state for signs of more cuts in January.”
The district currently owns 16 buses, including five special needs buses. The transportation department daily buses over 600 kids one-way. According to Becker, “streamlined efficient routing” is the only way the department can control its costs. This year the department revised many routes, eliminating some stops and merging others.
The elementary school district will be holding community forums on the overall budget and the deficit they are facing. Transportation and its budget deficit will be included in those discussions. If you are interested in what is happening at the district or would like to give your input, attend the meeting being held on Thursday, Nov. 12 at McCaffrey Middle School from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
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alf wrote on Nov 2, 2009 8:48 PM: