Monday, July 17, 2000
Bus service may change
Talawanda also considers three tiers to save money
By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer Contributor
OXFORD — The Talawanda Schools won't cut high school busing this year. But if a money issue on the November ballot fails, transportation reductions could be considered the following year.
A study of the district's busing system prepared by the Ohio Department of Education showed it could save $142,000 annually by changing the starting and ending times of some schools and going to a three-tier, rather than two-tier, pickup system. If high school busing is eliminated, the savings would increase to about $200,000, said James Rowan, district treasurer.
“I see us doing something different regardless of what happens (in the election) in the next (2001-02) school year,” said William Vollmer, president of the Talawanda Board of Education. “At most we'd have to change the starting times by 25 minutes.”
There are now 32 buses in service and three routes for children in special education, Mr. Rowan said. The district contracts with Laidlaw Transit to provide bus service in its 140-square-mile service area. Currently, drivers pick up middle and high school students, drop them off and then pick up elementary students.
Under education department recommendations, middle and high school students would be picked up first, followed by students at Maud Marshall Elementary and McGuffey School. The last to be picked up would be students attending Stewart and Kramer elementary schools.
The changes can't be made this year because there isn't time to redraw routes, largely because the district's system isn't yet computerized, Mr. Rowan said. By January, that should be complete.
“Once it's automated, it will give us more flexibility in routing,” Mr. Rowan said. “We also have to study how a change would impact our shuttle for fifth-graders from Marshall to Stewart and if there would be enough time to get back for the extracurricular activities. We've got to do assessments of our own to see if it's doable.”
The school board today will discuss putting an operating levy on the Nov. 7 ballot to stave off a projected $1 million deficit in June 2002 and a $3 million deficit the following year. Earlier this year the board approved a 15-point plan that reduces district spending by almost $600,000.
Last November voters rejected a combination levy for day-to-day operations and to build a new high school and make improvements to other schools. After the levy failed, the board scaled down the construction project and separated the bond issue from operating funds, but voters rejected both issues in March.
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