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St. Louis McKinney-Vento Regional Transportation Network
Steve Weeks & Jim Troxell, Ferguson-Florissant School DistrictDeidra Thomas-Murray, St. Louis Public SchoolsDenitria Neil, Hazelwood School District
October 26, 2014
The St. Louis McKinney Vento Regional Transportation Network
This collaboration is a process and systemic change from how MV transportation has traditionally been done in the St. Louis area.
The idea is that by building partnerships, we can do this much better (and cheaper!) together.
Transportation is a HUGE piece of the McKinney-Vento legislation
It’s the law It’s the right thing to do It’s expensive!
– For the district of origin– For the district of temporary residence (50%, or
more, of a district’s cost)
It can be problematic in many ways…..
The Problems: Increased Exposure to a Variety of Dangers
Accidents Incidents with other students Driver issues Early drop-offs & late arrivals Tardies causing missed
breakfasts Lack of supervision after drop-
off at school, etc
The Problem: Reliability Issues With Transport Provider
Early or late pickups Cab no-shows Poor service Strain on resources/hours/costs of staff
staying late
Problems / Issues With Drivers
Different drivers Trust issues of drivers on the part of
guardians (background checks, other issues) Poor judgment or behavior on the part of
drivers or dispatchers
The Problem: Communication Issues
Poor (or untrue) communication: From parents to transportation company or
schools To parents from transportation company From district to parent or transport company Student’s school lacks information School or parents do not know how to
respond to transportation problems
The Problems: Stigmas & Perceptions
Stigmas associated with abnormal school transport
Public perception, including board members
Entitlement & expectations on the part of the parent and/or stakeholders
The Problems: Transportation Challenges
May require multiple cabs for one family due to different grade levels
Sometimes unavailable/limited Transporting younger/smaller students can
be problematic or even refused Charges for student no-shows
– What percentage of your MV transportation costs are for no-shows?
The Problems: Complaints!!
Complaints to & from cab company, school staff, administrators, homeless liaisons, district staff, community stakeholders & board members. Many of these are complaints are legitimate!
Question…
On average, how much time per day do you, your staff or the district spend on listening to and resolving complaints?
Multiply that number by 180.
How many hours is that per school year?
What would you do with this number of hours per year if they were ‘given back’?
The Ferguson Florissant School District Goals…..IMPROVE!
Improve on-time performance / reliability Stakeholder satisfaction Control over services Increase Trust (Parents, Students, Schools) Safety Improve Attendance, which makes for
increased learning & higher test scores
The Ferguson Florissant School District Goals…..DECREASE!
Complaints Tardies and Late Pickups Costs Absences
The Key Factor in Getting Administrative Support Was…….
Lowering Costs / Saving
$$
In the beginning: The Baseline
2010-11 McKinney-Vento Transportation Costs $835,495
Year One Improvements: 2011-12 McKinney-Vento Transportation Costs
$530,644! Difference of over $300,000 savings More students were actually transported than the 2010-11, all
at a MUCH lower cost. Providing ‘tuck-ins’; students displaced within the district but
not living in the school of origin attendance area. Every daily cab was on average $47 saved (per cab, not child). Eliminated all no-show charges, resulting in great savings for
money that was essentially wasted / down the drain. Bus mileage is reimbursable by the state, resulting in added
revenue to the district. This began adding money by transporting MV students, in addition to saving money. In MO, cab mileage is not reimbursable.
Year Two Improvements 2012-13 McKinney-Vento Transportation Costs
$498,397 (approximately $32K savings) Again, transported more students than
2011-12, at a lower cost – Continued decrease in cab use– Continued increase utilization of buses – Increased skill and hard work of
transportation staff serving HT routes
A Key Turning Point
Began transporting our district’s displaced students from outside FFSD
Neighboring districts were charged $20 per transport; cheaper than cabs and other systems
Saved neighboring districts costs Other districts no longer incur a
charge for no-shows
Hitting a Savings and Service Plateau
Savings were excellent but flattening out without controlling costs that were incurred from other districts. To reach the goal of decreasing costs, other districts would need to participate in the process.
Were other school districts interested in instituting a similar MV transportation program?
Inter-District Experiences
Ms. Deidra Thomas-Murray, Students in Transition & Foster Care Coordinator, St. Louis Public Schools
Ms. Denitria Neil, Families in Transition and Foster Care Programs, Hazelwood School District
The Rube Goldberg rule.
Transportation Director Experiences
Mr. Jim Troxell, Transportation Director, Ferguson-Florissant School District
Requirements
Communication and relationship building with other districts
Transportation department be supportive and involved
Administrative support (board and district administrators)
Requires a shift in thinking of what MV transportation should look like (not as easy as you’d think!)
Money Talks
If you are interested in developing a Regional Transportation Network, the calculator is your friend! (Money talks, everything else walks, or cabs, or…)
Remember, however transportation is provided, there will be costs. You just have to be able to show that it can be done cheaper. The fact that it’s also better is a great bonus!
Expenses
Buses Software Labor costs Before or after school care
(occasionally)
Questions?
Steven W. Weeks: sweeks@fergflor.org
Jim Troxell: jtroxell@fergflor.org
Deidra Thomas: Deidra.Thomas-Murray@slps.org
Denitria Neil: dmitchll@hazelwoodschools.org
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