Update on Transportation
What I hope you take away from this blog post:
* Mill Levy didn't address transportation
* Why aren't we purchasing a yellow bus?
* What will happen to the dollars raised to purchase a bus?
Our Fall Fundraiser, RAD, targeted raising money to buy a yellow bus to off-set the challenges we are facing with transportation in the district. We raised $40,000 toward that goal!
After the fundraiser, I gathered bids and located a bus to lease or purchase. I shared this information with my Director of Schools and then there was a request to meet with district leadership folks - Assistant Superintendent, Director of Schools, Chief Officer of Finance, Director of Purchasing, Chief Operational Director and Director of Transportation to discuss moving forward with the purchase of a yellow bus.
Our goal of purchasing a yellow bus was now a reality. Prior to raising the money, district leadership knew this was our target. However, I don't think the dreams of our school was a point of focus for district leadership folks, with the Mill Levy/Bond election in the forefront of their minds.
The Mill Levy/Bond election passed and District leadership is now hyper committed to moving slowly forward with the allocation of these dollars to ensure that they honor the vote of the people.
The mill levy dollars are targeted specifically to compensation issues in regard to salaries and providing mental health to schools. Bond dollars go to facility/building needs. I think there are some misconceptions out there that these dollars can ease the transportation challenges and that isn't true.
Prior to targeting a yellow bus purchase for RAD, I did seek approval from district leadership. It was after the fact, that concerns were voiced. Admittedly, I was frustrated. If you work in a large organization, you may have experienced just how cumbersome working through various leadership departments can be.
Because no school has ever purchased a yellow bus, concerns were high about carefully considering the implications of a purchase like this, as other schools might decide to relieve their transportation challenges the same way.
Here were some of the concerns voiced at the table, after the fact:
* The very long list of CDE compliancy issues for owning and operating a yellow bus.
* Potential change in leadership:
Leadership at the level of Renaissance Educational Alliance (REA) and the ability of this group to over-see the financial obligation of said purchase.
Leadership at the school level and the sustainability of a leader committed to the responsibilities of owning said purchase.
Leadership at the district level - and the ability of district level leadership to come and take the bus for their own needs at any time.
* Driver requirements/CDL license - the district requires these drivers to YEARLY take a six week, full time, course over the summer for compliancy.
* Commitment of this driver to Renaissance? (Couldn't be working for the district in transportation department)
As I sat at the table I saw the purchase of a bus moving further and further away. I saw that consensus, accurate facts, and ownership by these different district leaders was going to be a very long process. These were good questions - these were concerns I wish had been voiced before we raised money.
But there is good news! The district leadership group is committed to seeing that our kids have their Winter Voyages, and committed to these exceptional experiences. They weren't trying to shut us down - rather, ensure that our plan was sustainable in all ways.
As a result, the kids will be taking a charter bus to their Winter Voyages (with the exception of a few grades that we will transport with our white buses) - and for this winter, the district will pay the difference between the cost of what we would have paid for district yellow buses and the higher price tag of the charter bus. I haven't figured out next year....yet.
REA has decided to set the money aside raised for purchasing a yellow bus, as we examine the future of resolving the challenges of our Adventure Education program and transportation.
I have more to say about what we need to explore to sustain our unique programming at Renaissance moving forward, but much of what I know now is still in the discovery stage as plans/directions come from district leadership. January is the month we wrestle with our Site Based Budget, so I am thinking clarity should be coming soon.
