FOR HIRE W


hile the debate over the use of private contractors to transport students has raged for nearly two decades, Buffalo Public Schools in New York State has


had good luck in a series of private partners that dates back more than 30 years. In a recent STN survey, the reasons participants


gave for either contracting with private companies or choosing not to contract with private carriers ran the gamut. Tose who did contract indicated it was to save money, avoid labor-management issues, address safety concerns, reduce liability and stimulate fleet replacement. Tose who did not use private carriers cited one main reason — they felt they could do it more efficiently than contractors and for less money. Tese arguments have characterized the student


44 School Transportation News April 2014


COVER STORY


SCHOOL DISTRICTS DISCUSS WHY THEY CONTRACT, AND THE LESSONS THEY’VE LEARNED WRITTEN BY ART GISSENDANER


transportation landscape for decades. Follow-up interviews also revealed some school


districts used as many as 17 separate contractors. Some were tasked with transporting special education students and others transported regular education students. Many used split contracts (part in-house and part contract) for managing maintenance operations or route operation and even employees. Some indicated a strong tendency to use local contractors, if possible. Contract length ranged from three to six years and


featured renewal clauses that allowed districts to “roll over” contracts with two- or three-year extensions. In those cases pay increases are controlled by the Consumer Price Index of the host state. Officials in Buffalo believe they have found a


formula that blends the right balance of operations by


From left: Head dispatcher Regina Henderson, Transportation Director Al Diamico and First Student Area General Manager Sean McCabe embody teamwork at Buffalo (N.Y.) Public Schools.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68