Leadership Matters - April 2013

Transportation story ——————————————————

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their emergency skills. They also assist in building a healthy team atmosphere by awarding an “Eagle” feather (Newton High’s team nickname is Eagles) to students who go above and beyond by doing things like helping a little kid get off the bus. No sooner than Cox and Parr were in their respective new positions in July of 2010, the state and federal budget cuts necessitated reorganization, going from using five school buildings to three. The bus routes also were reorganized using a “wagon-wheel” strategy starting at the farthest boundaries of the district to eliminate buses from having to zigzag throughout the district and having multiple buses traveling the same rural roads. Changing bus routes is a dicey proposition anywhere, but especially so in a district as geographically challenging as Jasper County. Past practice had included things like allowing parents to request that their kids attend a certain school, having the buses drop kids off at a babysitter’s house, and door-to-door service, including driving down private lanes of ¼ mile or longer – and having to pay for any damage the buses might do to the gravel lanes. So changes had to be made, including:  Going to a bus stop system instead of door-to-door pickup and delivery;  Dropping kids off at a babysitter’s house only if it was on an existing route;  No more driving down private lanes; and  Designing routes for full buses of 40 students instead of 30 riders “It was a leap of faith,” Cox said. “Sometimes it came down to habit or tradition versus efficiency. There were some long, tough discussions and I don’t know how many press releases we put out about transportation “ Being in the loop is a very big deal. It’s not a case of ‘that’s your

“ The parents here are as emotionally attached to our bus drivers as they are our teachers, They are the first people they see

in the morning and the last people they see when they get off the bus. If the bus ride doesn’t go well, in a lot of ways the whole school day can be shot . ” — Jasper County Superintendent Dan Cox

for kids.” The end result is a more efficient operation, with buses that are full, a reduction in the number of routes from 30 to 24, and the elimination of eight of the 11 shuttle buses that were being used to supplement the transportation routes. Transportation costs have been reduced by about 20 percent since 2007 (from $1.6 million to $1.3 million in 2012) despite the dramatic increase in fuel prices. The state’s 42 percent reduction in transportation funding means the planned 10-year rotation for the fleet of more than 55 buses now will be more like a 15- year rotation. The bottom line to older buses probably will be more repairs, but the good news is the district has its own mechanics. “A few weeks ago we had our first engine rebuild,” Parr said. “It cost us $3,000 in parts, but if we also had to pay someone outside to do the labor it would have cost another $8,000 to $10,000. There are some things we can’t do because we don’t have the right tools, but most repairs we can do ourselves.” One way to gauge just how important the bus transportation is in Newton and all of the rural communities that make up the Jasper County district is how well known Parr has become – partly because Cox has enough confidence in him to have him handle many media interviews regarding transportation. Another way is just to observe the after-school evacuation scene, with the buses lined up at the curb and local police cars, red-and-blue lights flashing, on the road to control traffic. The nearly 1,000 students who ride the buses are quickly loaded and on their way within a few minutes of the final bell, clearing the way for the students who live close enough to walk. “It really is a total community effort,” Cox said. “And that team approach is a very big part of why we can still be successful despite the budget cuts that have been so harmful to public education.”

problem.’ We understand that we’re in it together. ” — Chris Parr, Jasper County Transportation Director, talking about being included in the district’s administrative meetings.

that first year. It seemed like we were on a speaking circuit. The underlying theme that kept us going was doing what is right

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