Q&
with Dr. Pamela C. Brown A
Dr. Pamela C. Brown, superintendent of Buffalo Pub- lic Schools, shares what goes into the decisions behind contracting out transportation services and what expe- riences other school districts can expect to have.
School Transportation News: Why does Buffalo Public Schools contract out its student transportation ser- vices? Dr. Pamela C. Brown: The Buffalo Pubic Schools made the decision to privatize its transportation services after considering many factors, including fleet age, student safety, maintenance costs, etc. The district
decided to bid out contract requirements to provide our students with the best equipment and safety features possible, while containing costs.
STN: Are you able to quantify the cost savings of outsourcing transportation versus running them in-house. Dr. Brown: Not specifically, but we believe the savings have been substantial based on rising wages and benefits/pension costs that would be associated with district-employed drivers under the current collective bargaining agreement. Also, the lack of overhead cost to maintain facilities that can accommodate 631 buses results in big savings.
STN: As a whole, how satisfied has the Buffalo community been with the overall contracted transportation services in the past two decades? Dr. Brown: Overall, the district has been happy with the services provided by our contractor.
STN: How often does the contract come up for bid? Dr. Brown: Our current contract was for five years and expires on July 1, 2015. The first year we bid out a contract for transportation services was 1981.
STN: What services does the district expect, and how is the contract evaluated? Dr. Brown: Our expectations are clearly listed in our contract with methods to ensure contract compliance.
STN: Why does Buffalo do its own routing? Dr. Brown: The district feels that we have the best interests of the students in mind when we route our buses. Further, it enables us to readily track contract compliance and timing issues to more efficiently control the cost of the services.
STN: What advice would you give other school districts that are determining whether or not to contract out its transportation services? Dr. Brown: There are many factors involved in making this decision. A few exam- ples include contractors' safety records, the District’s current collective bargaining agreement, and operational costs like overhead, maintenance and replacement. Each district needs to determine the pros and cons for its own situation. Contract- ing out services was the best decision for the students of our city.
STN: Thank you.
48 School Transportation News April 2014
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