POPLAR RIDGE - The Southern Cayuga Central School District Board of Education is looking again at streamlining its transportation operations.
The board is intending to hire an outside agency to conduct a study into the feasibility of a single bus run.
The study will determine if moving to a single bus run is feasible, how many buses it would take, what size buses would be needed and how many routes would be requisite to transporting all of the district's students to school buildings.
The district does not have any students that walk to school.
The district currently has one bid for the study at a cost not to exceed $7,500 and is waiting to see if another vendor will submit a bid.
The money expended on the study is 79 percent state aidable.
Board member Joe Lonsky initially questioned spending that money on the project.
The district had previously conducted studies on the topic and he wondered if that could be done again before hiring an outside firm.
“We need to give this one more crack before we spend $7,000,” he said. “I just can't believe we need to pay someone $7,000 to figure out how we pick up our kids.”
But after some discussion with Superintendent Mary Kay Worth and Business Administrator Martha Stevermer, he agreed that hiring a group independent of the district could be effective in obtaining the answers the board seeks.
Board member Jim Wilcox agreed, saying, “I hate to see us spend that money, but we need to get it done.”
During a public forum on the 2009-10 budget last week, several community members asked about the district's progress into creating a single bus run.
Rather than wait until the next board meeting on Feb. 23 to award a bid, board member Ted Rejman made a motion, which was unanimously approved, to allow Stevermer to move on a vendor that would be the most cost-effective as well as timely with the study and providing answers.
He asked if it would be possible to get the results of the study by March 2, when the board will host another forum on the budget.
Stevermer and Transportation Supervisor Brett Johnson didn't know if that would be feasible.
“These people asked the question,” he said, “and we need to have the answers.”
In other news:
• The board accepted the retirement of custodian Jim Heim and thanked him for his service. The district will not fill the position Heim is vacating.
• The next board meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the high school library, Route 34B, Poplar Ridge.
The study will determine if moving to a single bus run is feasible, how many buses it would take, what size buses would be needed and how many routes would be requisite to transporting all of the district's students to school buildings.
The district does not have any students that walk to school.
The district currently has one bid for the study at a cost not to exceed $7,500 and is waiting to see if another vendor will submit a bid.
The money expended on the study is 79 percent state aidable.
Board member Joe Lonsky initially questioned spending that money on the project.
The district had previously conducted studies on the topic and he wondered if that could be done again before hiring an outside firm.
“We need to give this one more crack before we spend $7,000,” he said. “I just can't believe we need to pay someone $7,000 to figure out how we pick up our kids.”
But after some discussion with Superintendent Mary Kay Worth and Business Administrator Martha Stevermer, he agreed that hiring a group independent of the district could be effective in obtaining the answers the board seeks.
Board member Jim Wilcox agreed, saying, “I hate to see us spend that money, but we need to get it done.”
During a public forum on the 2009-10 budget last week, several community members asked about the district's progress into creating a single bus run.
Rather than wait until the next board meeting on Feb. 23 to award a bid, board member Ted Rejman made a motion, which was unanimously approved, to allow Stevermer to move on a vendor that would be the most cost-effective as well as timely with the study and providing answers.
He asked if it would be possible to get the results of the study by March 2, when the board will host another forum on the budget.
Stevermer and Transportation Supervisor Brett Johnson didn't know if that would be feasible.
“These people asked the question,” he said, “and we need to have the answers.”
In other news:
• The board accepted the retirement of custodian Jim Heim and thanked him for his service. The district will not fill the position Heim is vacating.
• The next board meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the high school library, Route 34B, Poplar Ridge.
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teacher1 wrote on Jun 12, 2009 1:20 PM:
pamnewyork wrote on Feb 20, 2009 9:38 AM:
rad1234 wrote on Feb 10, 2009 9:44 AM:
However, because I am determined to see the good in the inevitable, maybe something positive could come of a single bus run. For instance, wouldn't it be fantastic if our middle and high-schoolers could start their day closer to 9 a.m. as opposed to 7:30 a.m.?
I can't think of any advantage to 5 and 6 year-olds sharing a bus with 18 year-olds, however. "
a.mom wrote on Feb 10, 2009 9:34 AM:
This is a group of people wanting to duck behind an agency's recommendation instead of taking any potential heat for this decision. Serve on the BOE and make the hard decisions already. Listen to Lonsky - the sole voice of common sense on the boarPr "
thinksensibly wrote on Feb 10, 2009 9:16 AM:
Prior to that we spent how many thousands of dollars to another consulting firm on the school energy project and how many thousands of dollars to a hiring firm to replace the superintendent (which ended up being the wrong choice).. yet we're scrappling to afford textbooks, driver ed, teachers, sports programs and now, safe transportation?????
This money seems to be spent on everything except the education and safety of our children.
Put Lonsky in charge of the money and how its spent. "