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The Partnership That Paid Off
10 years ago, a district did what no other had done for more than 80 years. But it got help from a partner whose size only served to benefit its local appeal.
Children’s education is always a hot topic, and principal in those
discussions are two issues: the quality of education and the bud- get. In this seemingly never-changing situation, one can argue the merits of a radical move to take back some control. In the case of Zachary Community School District (ZCSD), which served the city of Zachary, Louisiana, that discussion resulted in a decision that no district had made in more than 80 years: go it alone. In 2002, it began a split from the parish system, which was finalized in 2003 with the transfer of five buildings and little else. Today, the Zachary Community School District is called a “model of excel- lence” as it has been the top-ranked district in the state of Louisi- ana for seven straight years. Warren Drake, the new district’s first superintendent, spear-
headed an effort to get the community involved in preparing the school properties for the expected influx of students. But one ma- jor hurdle remained: how to get students to the schools, on time and within budget. A ZCSD committee was assigned to research possible solu-
tions; one of the options being to outsource. Tis would allow the new district to focus on the reason it separated from the parish system in the first place: to enhance the educational opportuni- ties of its students. Te committee called on First Student, an established school
transportation company with more than 54,000 buses in more than 1,500 school districts across the U.S. One of the factors that attracted ZCSD to First Student was its turnkey approach: First Student worked with the district to quickly implement every el- ement of a school transportation operation, including manage- ment, training, routing and maintenance. Another factor was cost. First Student is able to leverage its size to secure volume discounts and other savings on parts and
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supplies, which gives it the flexibility to work within a district’s budget and control fleet management and maintenance ex- penses. In addition, it provided ZCSD with a flat-rate fee which allowed the growing district to reliably predict and plan for its transportation costs. First Student operates each location locally, hiring drivers and
staff members who know the community and its residents. Tis was no different in Zachary, where it hired a location manager who lived in the area to serve as liaison between the district and the company. First Student then offered its driving jobs to the com- munity of Zachary, hiring many parents of children who would be
“ Outsourcing would allow the new district
to focus on the entire reason it separated from the parish system in the first place: to enhance the educational opportunities of its students.
taking the buses to and from school every day. Te results of this partnership speak for themselves. Tis year, as ZCSD is set to open its fourth new school, a facility for first- and second-graders, Drake readies to leave his position at ZCSD to work with the state edu- cation superintendent. He recalls both the challenges the district faced as well as the people who overcame them. “It’s amazing what the people of Zachary have allowed us to
”
do in the last 10 years,” he said. “I consider First Student a very im- portant part of the team. I meet with the drivers and I meet with First Student during their safety meetings because they’re the first people to see our students in the morning. It is a friendship.” n
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