Parents, bus drivers share common concerns about school transportation

"Improvements are needed in student transportation management and safety practices," the Office of the Legislative Auditor said in a report released Tuesday.

The auditor\’s report found that Minnesota school districts spent $446 million on student transportation in the 2005-06 school year, but the district\’s transportation management practices ran the gamut from excellent to poor.

"Most school districts verify that their school bus drivers are qualified but some do not," the report notes. "School districts do not provide sufficient oversight of drivers of \’type III\’ vehicles (cars, station wagons, and vans)."

The report also found that "some districts follow best practices in contracting for transportation services, but others fall far short" and it faults the state Department of Public Safety for "minimal oversight of school bus drivers."

The auditor\’s findings are reinforced by the conclusions of a new study, "Safe, from Home to School: The Need for Student Transportation Reform in Minnesota," conducted by Service Employees International Union Local 284, Minnesota\’s largest union of school bus workers.

"This Community Audit suggests that bus drivers and parents have clear ideas about what\’s wrong with student transportation: out of control costs and increasing safety concerns," said Shane Allers, executive director of Local 284.

Over 79 percent of parents surveyed said it is important that their child have a regular driver with whom they are familiar. Unfortunately, 17 percent said their child had already had three or more school bus drivers this year.

One parent from Cambridge wrote: "I think it\’s important that the kids know their bus driver and know who to trust in an emergency. I think they build a relationship with the bus driver just like a teacher or other school professionals. If they have a different driver everyday they may not feel comfortable going to them with a problem like bullying or [a] safety issue."

The report also confirms previous studies showing that Minnesota school districts pay an average 10 percent premium to outsource student transportation.

The annual per-student savings of operating transportation systems fully in-house was $45 (9.5%) per student for districts with fewer than 4,000 students and $33 (11.22%) per student for districts with more than 4,000 students.

The report also cites data collected by the Minneapolis Public Schools that indicates those higher prices come with higher rates of driver turnover, less experienced drivers, less reliable service and more accidents.

What causes high turnover and an inexperienced workforce? Of bus drivers surveyed who plan to quit (for reasons other than retirement) within two years, 89 percent are being driven out by low wages and benefits, including 47 percent because of insufficient hours or the lack of summer work and 26 percent because they lack access to health care, the new study found.

Of those without private health insurance, 17 percent said they are uninsured and 83 percent receive health insurance through Minnesota Care or another government program. Parents and bus workers are concerned: over 97 percent want private companies to report on the turnover, training, and experience level of their workforce when applying for public contracts.

Bob Cook, a school bus driver in the Edina public schools, helped plan and conduct the survey with co-workers and parents. "Drivers were really happy to know that someone was concerned about what they were concerned about," he said. "Parents were really happy to be asked their opinion. It was very gratifying."

For more information

The study is available on the Local 284 website, www.seiu284.com  
The Legislative Auditor\’s report can be found at www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us