-
Login
-
Digital Edition
-
Print Edition
- Most Commented
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Most Emailed
- Popular
- Popular
« News Home
Poland weighs options with no busing
TweetBy Robert Guttersohn
POLAND
For the Poland school district, the cost of busing its high-school students back and forth outweighs its practicality.
The board of education therefore voted March 28 to cut high-school busing in the fall, saving the district $283,195 a year, Superintendent Robert Zorn said.
“That’s just something we can’t afford,” Zorn said.
But parents unable to provide a ride for their student asked how their students would get to school.
Poland school officials will meet about that issue this morning with the contract transportation company Transit Service Inc., which already transports the district’s and most of Mahoning County’s special-education students to and from school.
“We pursued Transit Service to see if they’d contract individually with parents,” Zorn said. “The district would not pay for it.”
At the meeting, the two parties will figure out whether that would be possible.
“We’ve never done a private-pay system,” said Mike Pollifone, supervisor for the transportation company.
Last year, Poland measured high-school ridership per day with 72 being its low and 93 being its high. With the low usage of busing by its students, the district spent $3,000 a year for every high-school student it transported, Zorn said.
Michael Martin, executive director of the National Association for Pupil Transportation, said cutting transportation — which generally makes up to 7 percent of a district’s budget — places more stress on the student.
“Even the Education Department said there is a direct link between attendance and performance,” Martin said in a phone interview. “At the same time, there’s also a direct link between transportation and attendance.”
He said both federal and state government acknowledged busing as being the safest route for students to school. An increase in students driving to school or walking through bad weather or crime-filled neighborhoods increases the danger to students, Martin said.
For that reason, Boardman Local Schools decided against cutting its high-school transportation, which would have saved it $800,000 a year.
“We are trying not do that and probably wouldn’t for the next three years,” said Boardman Superintendent Frank Lazzeri. “There’s a difference between cutting busing in Canfield [which also eliminated high-school busing starting in the fall] or Poland and Boardman. It’s not as dangerous traffic-wise.”
He said if the up to 30 buses that drive students daily to its high school were eliminated, 400 cars would be entering and leaving the parking lot simultaneously instead.
“These are all things we considered during budget talks,” Lazzeri said. “It would be a real nightmare getting in and out of there.”
Comments
Why not use the SB5 starting rates of 10% pension and 15% healthcare as a starting point to renegotiate the union contracts so kids can ride the buses. If that ain't enough then go to 20% or 30% like we do in the private sector till the busing is covered.
Don't ever let me hear from a BOE member in any school district again, a levy is about the kids. Levies are only about one thing, plush pay and benefits for the school employees, and the BOE always goes along with the unions instead of looking out for the taxpayer and students interests.
I think it is a shame to cut this service. Not everyone can run out to buy a car for their child. My child attends Boardman High school and he has been saying all year that they never have soap or paper towels in the bathrooms. They will probably require students to bring their own toilet paper, paper towels and soap next year. I attended a concert at the Performing Arts center in June and found out for myself that they really don't have soap or paper towels in the bathrooms. I was appalled. More people may consider cyberschooling for their children. At least you would get a basic education and no transportation issues at all. It could become the new trend for education in the future.
I've been angered for years at virtually empty buses going to and from the high school. Routes should have been consolidated years ago. Use of personal vehicles by students should have been curbed (no pun intended). Driving a car to school is more about convenience than necessity. This is just another reflection of how impotent school systems have become. The inmates are running the asylum!
I can't speak for him but Dr. Zorn seemed to be saying that as many as 2/3rds of the Poland High School students don't regularly use the provided busing to get to/from school. Running the buses to the high school with so few riders isn't cost-effective and looks to be "low-hanging" fruit when it comes to finding ways to save money. It's a fact of life that nowdays many high school students drive to school or ride with someone who does. Others get dropped off and a very few walk.
Please check the article and see that the district used data in making this decision.
Since the average number of students in a high school class is 28, there were less than 3 or 4 classrooms of students taking the bus.
Probably all freshmen.
LosersNeverWin, you have no idea how pampered these kids are. They think riding the bus is too humiliating, and they have to wait while the bus stops at several stops. It may take them as long as 15 minutes to get home!
Oh! the Humanity!
Hey derf5983 Why should the kids pay for others to ride the bus. That's what 's wrong with this country, everybody expects others to pay their way. But I do agree with your comment about the library sponsoring a route or two. Maybe they could take the kids to the library after school so they could do research work or whatever.
Magnolia- Are you kidding me about getting a basic eduation for your child by homeschooling. I'm glad you are striving for such an excellent education for your child/children. No wonder public schools can't afford things because people like you would prefer homeschooling, cyber, etc.... over soap!
My first point:
Just because a levy is passed does not mean it is going to the salaries of staff members. Yes, salaries and benfits are the greatest expenses for school districts but that is true every where.
Next point:
I am so tired I hearing about how much people in the private sector pay and don't make as compared to a public sector job. GET OVER IT! People in the private sector don't ALL pay 15% or more for insurance, PLEASE! There are many perks to working in the private sector too. For anyone so unhappy with their job in the private sector then do something about it. You had the opportunity to be a teacher, police officer, etc BUT you didin't.
In regards to paying to bus children, get over it too. How about just making ALL students walk if they live within a mile of the school. We did this and we all survived. Parents teach your children safety when it comes to walking to school. Here is a helpful suggestion...car-pool with families and neighbors. Or better yet, combine bussing services. But again just like a previous post... then parents would have to get up earlier and some kids would have to be on the bus for a longer period of time and we wouldn't want that now would we. I'm sure the parents can figure this out.
The comments about schools having no paper towels or soap can only lead me to the obvious..... WASTEFUL ACTS by the children. Before thinking this is so untrue we all know it is not. Most kids have no respect for anything unless it directly affects them (and we all know soap and paper towels do not matter much). Teach your children how not to be wasteful. Realistically, schools should put these supplies on their classroom supply lists(nothing wrong with that). A bottle of soap is 2 dollars and so are paper towels. Times are tough on everyone. We should be thankful schools don't charge a fee to use books, lockers, etc... Then again that would be a great idea. Students would probably be forced not to write all over the lockers and destory books like they do now. Don't think it doesn't happen mommy and daddy because your son/daughter is probably guilty of these acts, too.
Bottom line:
The economy is bad and everyone/place is hurting. The days of freebies are over. The cost of educating your child/children is going to continue to grow.