UPDATED: Thursday, Dec. 19 9:15 a.m.
District 15 issued a press release late Thursday to clarify how the district will move forward in regards to the possiblity of outsourcing bus services.
The release stated that due to significant reductions in state reimbursements for transportation, a consultant was utilized to determine what cost savings would be. There currently is a negotiated contract between the school district and the District 15 Transportation Union (DTU).
"For the 2012-13 school year, District 15 allocated approximately $6 million in salaries and expenses to support student transportation services. Preliminary estimates project annual savings at approximately $600,000," the release stated.
In addition to previously stated concerns, Camille Burner, a D15 parent, reached out to Palatine Patch and expressed fears that salaries would be lowered for employees if bus services were privatized - and that move could attract less qualified individuals unable to find other work.
Superintendent Scott Thompson conceded lower salaries are a possibility, but after consulting with other schools districts, said services have apparently not been affected.
"My colleagues have been very happy with the services, and there were no complaints outside of ordinary parent complaints," Thompson said.
Burner suggested trying to trim the cost of busing children, by transporting them to schools closer to where they live.
"It’s become very complicated on where children attend schools, there have been a lot of conversations; it would require redistricting, and moving kids around to get them to a closer school, but we couldn’t house all students at the schools they live nearest to," Thompson said.
A timeline also was provided by the school district in regards to how the process will move forward:
- Bids received and preliminarily reviewed (January 10)
- Bids shared with the Board (January 16)
- Discussions/negotiations with the DTU (late January-March)
- Bids analyzed and discussed at Board meeting (February 13)
- Public hearing on transportation (regular Board meeting in either March or April)
District officials stressed no decisions have been made, and that they are, "committed to ensuring timely, safe and reliable bus service for [our] students. A thorough analysis of all factors and comments will be used in making the final decision," the release stated.
Concerned parents have started an online petition at Change.org to campaign against the potential proposal. That petition can be found here.
Earlier:
A number of District 15 parents are balking at the school board's consideration of bidding out bus services to private companies.
The issue was presented at Wednesday's school board meeting and included on the agenda under the Superintendent's Report at Wednesday's meeting was "Bid for Transportation Services."
One parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed a number of concerns:
"Some things to consider, as a parent, are: The current bus drivers are randomly tested for drug and alcohol use, pass the most stringent of tests, are of the highest quality of people, and overwhelmingly, most live within the community," the parent stated.
"The same cannot be said for outside companies, who hire inferior employees cheaply, and recruit drivers from blight filled areas," the parent said.
Another parent, who also wishes to remain anonymous, brought up the possiblity of District 15 bus drivers, who are school district employees, losing their jobs if the board ultimately decides to go that way.
Superintendent Scott Thompson said the entire issue is only in the early stages, and the board is interested in learning what the cost savings would be.
"If we were to decide to hire private companies for bus services, the majority of our current drivers would likely begin working for whomever we would hire," Thompson said.
Within the Board of Education packet materials for Wednesday's meeting, Thompson stated, "Safety and service will remain at the current levels whether or not the district contracts for transportation services."
He added that neighboring school districts who have used private companies have not seen safety or service diminished in any way.
In regards to termination of current District 15 employees who provide transportation services, Thompson stated as part of any contract with a private company, the firm chosen would be required to offer employment to current D15 employees.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent out on Wednesday, December 12 to private companies for bid requests, and Thompson stated in the board packet a required public hearing on the issue would be held in late March, 2013.
Per state law, if the District opts to move forward in engaging a private vendor for its student transportation services, all current employees must be considered for employment by the transportation company for their current positions at their current salary and benefit levels. These employees and any future hires would continue to be subject to criminal background investigations and training requirements that are consistent with the District's current policies.
"The same cannot be said for outside companies, who hire inferior employees cheaply, and recruit drivers from blight filled areas," the parent said When there is nothing else to use at the time - try FEAR as a tactic!
The Federalist Papers, written, in part, by the father of the Constitution James Madison, were published anonymously. The Supreme Court has repeatedly approved anonymous free speech in recent years. Just because you have no problem with putting your name on the internet does not mean the rest of us have to as well.
Could the reason that the school board chose to look at this be because the of the drivers' union? Have they negotiated a pay that is unsustainable and basically negotiated themselves out of a job?
Our community needs to calmly take this one step at a time and not jump to panic mode and fear-mongering. Please ask yourself what might be the motivation behind folks who choose to spread fear and panic, spread false information, and choose to remain anonymous. There have been several mass emails going around with misinformation and outright lies - one by the husband of the DTU president who did not make this connection in a phone call to me, in his email, or even when he addressed the BOE on Wed. Please look to one's motivation. My only motivation is to have BOE members who are open and transparent to the community, who are accountable to the community they serve, and who put the education and safety of the community's children at the top of the list.
"For the past 50 years, both Cook-Illinois Corporation and Go-Ahead Group, based in the United Kingdom, have earned solid reputations for quality contract school bus service and innovation. Go-Ahead is one of the UK’s leading providers of bus and rail services, transporting more than 25% of the area’s daily public transportation via bus and rail services." Does that sound like Mike Medin, the "consultant" might have an unbiased opinion as to whether or not District 15 should privatize its transportation services? Sounds like putting the fox in charge of the hen house to me. And this is who the school board hired. Parents, you need to speak out.
"SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT Superintendent Scott Thompson presented the Board with a draft version of a transportation consultant’s report outlining the findings of an investigation the District commissioned to identify possible savings within the Transportation Department. The report outlined two key areas where savings could be realized: privatization of transportation services, and/or replacing the District’s current two-tier system with a three-tier route system. It was noted that for a school district run transportation system, District 15’s Transportation Department is running quite optimally." -------------- The way I see it, the prior consultant offered two alternatives that could be done separately or together (privatize and/or go to three-tiered). All that is being done now is gathering more information on the "privatize" element. No harm getting that additional information as far as I can see.
I do have to wonder if the mileage is the driving factor. Once you pick up all the kids in a neighborhood does it really matter if you drive them one mile to school, or five miles, or whatever? You're still paying the same costs for the driver, and most of the same costs for the bus (with the obvious increase in fuel). But is the fuel a major component?
The schools all have to be roughly equal in size simply because that's what the schools were built for. So looking at the map below, what would your solution be? Should all the kids who live near to Plum Grove go to Sandburg? There are Sundling kids, who live a lot closer to Plum Grove as well. Student populations drive the boundaries. http://www.ccsd15.net/files/_iCBXb_/3ee26a206ab508253745a49013852ec4/MapJuniorHigh2004sd15_jhs_2000web.jpg
I agree with you "Our community needs to calmly take this one step at a time" the problem is knowing whose facts to trust. When the BOE wants to pass a tax levy they talk of the 3% being ONLY $72 per household annually. When they talk of SAVINGS in transportation they talk of POSSIBLY saving $600,000. That is a large figure BUT, only 0.004% ( less then 1/2 of 1%) of the total budget. Not sure of the math formula BUT if 3% of the budget is a $72 increase on a $300,000 home then wouldn't a o.oo4% savings be equal to about a $10 annual savings to out source the childrens safety?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LateStartEarlyRelease The address for the petition can be found below: http://www.change.org/petitions/ccsd15-school-board-listen-to-constituents-late-arrival-early-dismissal-schedule-enrichment-time-end-of-the-day-friday-no-lost-instruction-time
The survey and petition you link to are dealing with the potential "late-start/early-out" question. The petition against outsourcing the bus drivers is here: https://www.change.org/petitions/ccsd15-school-board-do-not-outsource-the-district-15-transportation-department