Page 5 - Leadership Matters March 2013 issue.pub

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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
that first year.
It seemed like
we were on a
speaking
circuit. The
underlying
theme that
kept us going
was doing
what is right
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.”
(Continued from page 4)
“Being in
the loop is a
very big
deal. It’s not
a case of
‘that’s your
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.
“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
Transportation story ——————————————————