Schools to move forward with bus savings

After Superintendent Dr. Shari Camhi and John Robertson, a transportation consultant hired by the school district, outlined major savings in the district’s transportation budget at last month’s Board of Education meeting, several proposals were presented with different bell schedules for Baldwin High School and Baldwin Middle School and varying mileage requirements for eligible students.

These proposals, which Robertson designed, would each help the district realize additional savings in its transportation costs. After Robertson was hired over the winter, he looked at examining the district’s busing routes and practices, and recommended measures he said would save the district significantly next year.

The board held a special meeting on March 30 to gain public feedback on the proposals and decide how to move forward. At that meeting, Camhi recommended holding off on discussing bell schedule changes because there are many factors to consider before something major is implemented. She noted that the teachers’ contract states that the school day spans from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. In the most appealing proposal, the high school day would start at 7:23 a.m. There was also the issue of employees who teach at BMS but coach at BHS — if the middle school day ends significantly later it would make matters more difficult for those who fit that description.

“I’m afraid that if we…start changing those times now that we’re not going to have asked all the questions that need to be asked,” Camhi said, “and we’re not going to have all the answers that we need to know. And we might make some major mistakes. I don’t want to do that.”

Camhi suggested the best option would be to keep the large bus routes that went into effect on Feb. 1 — and are saving the district $50,000 a month — next year, in addition to readjusting small bus and van routes to private and parochial schools, which she estimated could save about $360,000 — that figure depends on enrollment at these schools, which wasn’t known last week. Camhi said the district could realize roughly $780,000 in savings next year.