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S'FUDEN'FtRANSRORtA'FION ...S , : b D ~ ...

FINAL REPORT

NORTHWESTERN LEHIGHSCHOOL DISTRICT

January, 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONMETHODOLOGYEXECUTIVE SUMMARYOPERATIONALIFINANCIALFLEETIFACILITYLABORROUTINGMANAGEMENT OPTIONSAPPENDIX

TAS

SECTION

1234

5678

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STUDYPROFILE

TAS

INTRODUCTIONTransportation Advisory Services (TAS) was engaged to perform ananalysis of the student transportation program of the NorthwesternLehigh School District (hereinafter referred to as "District"). Thepurpose of this Study is to provide the District with a third-partyperspective on the operating efficiency and management options of thecurrent program.The District's liaison for the project was Leslie Frisbie, BusinessAdministrator; Cassandra Graver, Transportation Coordinator, wasthe transportation contact. Christopher Andrews served as the ProjectConsultant for TAS.A third-party review of the transportation program was sought by theDistrict, with a focus on efficiency, and the pro's and con's ofoutsourcing. School districts in Pennsylvania have increased theirfocus on support services in recent years, given the increasingfinancial demands that are being placed on them due to highereducational standards, coupled with increasing mandates in the faceof declining revenues.We believe it is important to note that, overall, the transportationprogram appears to be well run, and the District's students aretransported home-to-school-to-home every day in a safe, reliablemanner. By all appearances the District employs high quality driverswho are respectful of both the students and the residents of thecommunity.The Northwestern Lehigh School District reports an enrollment of2,499 students in grades K through 12, all of which are affordedtransportation to 4 in-District schools. The District also transports180 students to 17 non-public schools, and 7 students are transportedto 2 out-of-District Special Education facilities. The District operateson a double-tier system. The District maintains its fleet in a moderngarage located on District property, and the fleet is refueled at theDistrict pumps. Secured parking is provided on District, adjacent tothe facility that houses the garage, transportation office, and driversroom. According to the Flex Report Expenditure Summary the totaltransportation cost for the 2009-2010 school year was reported to be$1,807,043.

Northwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal ReportSection 1 - 1

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In this report we provide our perspectives and recommendations on anumber of areas involved in the transportation program. We commendthe District for their willingness to conduct a third-party review of theprogram. We often caution districts .. "Don't ask the question if youdon't want to hear the answer". The Northwestern Lehigh SchoolDistrict has been willing to be open and cooperative in our review ofthe District's transportation services.Hopefully, this report will provide the Administration with a thoroughunderstanding of the issues, and insights on the pro's and con's ofmaking the type of changes which would help the program continue tomeet the community's needs at the lowest possible cost.In order to facilitate the review and use of this report, most of thesections have been presented using a "bullet" format. This allows asuccinct presentation of the issues, and we believe enhances the ongoing use of the report as a resource for the Administration andDistrict personnel.Everyone involved was extremely cooperative and provided us witheverything we requested. We would like to thank those individualsfor their assistance in this study process.


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TAS

METHODOLOGYTAS was issued a purchase order for the engagement in October,2010. Subsequent to this acceptance the following activities wereundertaken as part of our analysis:

1) TAS submitted to the District a detailed request for backgroundinformation and program specifics in order to form a basis forthe review.

2) The on-site visit was scheduled to conduct interviews withstakeholders, and to follow-up with any questions that aroseduring our review of the data submitted.

3) On November 11th_12th, the TAS Project Consultant was in theDistrict conducting the following meetings/interviews:

A meeting with the Business Administrator and the AssistantBusiness Administrator. This meeting was designed to provideTAS with a greater understanding of the scope of theengagement, while also allowing TAS an opportunity to discussvarious options available to the District. We also met with theSuperintendent and Board, who expressed their support of theengagement.

A meeting was then held with the Transportation Supervisor,followed by a tour of the office/garage and a discussion with theHead Mechanic.

We met the Mechanics and Drivers that were available prior totheir afternoon runs, to gather their input about the operation.

We met with the Athletic Director and the Director of SpecialServices to gain their perspectives about the services provided tothose departments. Follow-up meetings were held as necessary to review notes andclarify information provided.4) Numerous additional documents and analyses were provided by

the District in response to questions raised during the analysisNorthwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal Report

Section 2-1

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process. Throughout this review numerous items were discussedor provided through the use of telephone conversations, oremail.

5) The Building Principals were surveyed for their perspectivesabout the operation.6) This document constitutes our written report to the District. Acopy of this report is being provided to various Districtrepresentatives, including Administrators and Board Members.This report is intended to serve as an advisory document andresource for the District, and as such it should be reviewed and

evaluated by the District for its applicability to thecircumstances at the time of review. Any proposed changesshould be discussed with legal counsel prior to implementation.7) The following information was utilized as a part of our analysis

ofthe District's transportation program:o Driver schedules, and route descriptionso Line item financial reports, and various budget documentso Board Transportation Policieso Employee Datao Fleet Datao Principal Surveyso Job Descriptionso Miscellaneous District-prepared analyses and reports

TAS uses available information and its experience to estimate thepotential costs and / or savings of particular transportation servicearrangements described in this study. Although past experience can bean excellent basis for projections, TAS does not warrant that the costsor savings estimated herein will be realized if implemented.

Northwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal ReportSection 2 2

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYAs stated in the Introduction section of this report, the commentscontained herein pertain to those aspects of the engagement that arewithin the scope of the study as determined by the District.Recommendations pertaining to each section of this report areembodied in those sections. For a more definitive discussion of eachtopic, please refer to the section itself.

FLEET/FACILITY Auction off unneeded vehicles.

LABOR

ROUTING

MANAGEMENTOPTIONS

Stabilize vehicle purchases. Hire someone to wash buses. Invest in a day of software training. The use of "Recruitment ABC's" should be encouraged. A monthly report should be completed by the Director. Hire someone to maintain work orders and inventory system. Offer a stipend for perfect attendance to reduce absenteeism. The District should move towards a more equitable allocation ofbenefits. Utilize the routing software to evaluate the impact of modified belltimes. The District should contact the IU for a review of out-of-Districtroutes to see if they can provide similar transportation at a lower cost.

The District should consider the implementation of Option 3.3.


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TAS

OPERATIONAL/FINANCIAL REVIEWOPERATIONAL:Within this report we have made specific recommendations whereapplicable. In general, we found the District to be sincerely interestedin the quality and efficiency of the transportation program, and eagerto implement any changes that would improve either of these areas.As a means of evaluating the performance of the Department, wesurveyed the Building Principals, as they experience the services ofthe Department on a daily basis, and as such their feedback isimportant. Four Principals responded, with the number preceding theanswer box indicating how they answered that particular question:1. Regarding the morning delivery of students to your building:2 0 Always on time2 0 Usually on timeo Regularly late2. Regarding the afternoon pick-up of students at your building:2 0 Always on time2 0 Usually on timeo Regularly late3. Regarding mid-day transportation (shuttles, field trips, etc.):3 0 Always on timeI 0 Usually on time

o Regularly late4. Regarding the Department's handling of student discipline:1 0 Always reliable information and communication3 0 Usually reliable information and communicationo Too much misinformation and poor communication5. Regarding general lines of communication with the Department:1 0 Always available and great to work with3 0 Usually available and good to work with

o Hard to reach, but good to work witho Hard to reach and hard to work withNorthwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal ReportSection 4 - 1

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BELL TIMES

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6. Are you provided with bus lists and student lists prior to the first day ofschool, and updated versions during the year?1 0 AlwaysI 0 Usually2 0 We get them, but they are late/inaccurateo No - we don't get them

7. Which of the following best describes the overall attitudes of thetransportation employees with whom you have contact?3 0 Positive1 0 Ambivalento Negativeo Other8. In general, how would you rate the transportation services that you haveexperienced in the last 18 months:1 0 Great2 0 Good1 0 Averageo PoorAs is evidenced by these responses, they believe the services providedby the Transportation Department to be of good quality, and theDepartment is commended for generating this level of service. Ourresponse to concerns regarding routing information (#6) can be foundin that section of this report. Copies of these responses can be foundin the Appendix.To further evaluate the program, we first established the operatingconditions. District routes operate on a 2-tier system, with mid-dayruns for the AMJPM Kindergarten program, under the following belltimes:

SchoolHigh SchoolMiddle School~ E l e m e n t a r y W ElementaryTotal transported

Start7:45a.m.7:50a.m.9:00a.m.9:05a.m.

End # StudentsTrans:Qorted2:37p.m. 8382:27p.m. 5733:25p.m. 5193:30p.m. 5692,499Northwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal ReportSection 4 - 2

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CONTRACTS

TAS

Of the 43 District vehicles assigned to routes, 27 are full size 72-81passenger buses, 6 are 35-48 passenger vehicles (some are wheel chairbuses) , and 10 are 6-9 passenger vans. The District also providestransportation for 180 students to 17 private/parochial schools, and 7students to 2 out-of-District Special Educations facilities. TheDepartment is staffed with 39 employees:

1 Transportation Coordioator2 Part-time Clerks (1 )2 Mechanics18 FT Drivers17 PT Drivers39(1) One of he Drivers also works as a Clerk.

During the course of the engagement the District solicited proposals fromlocal and national contractors to provide transportation services. Accordingto the information provided, eight vendors responded with proposals.Although the preparation of specifications and review of subsequentsubmittals was not part of our engagement, we have agreed to provide asynopsis of the proposals, as can be found below in no particular order:

1. Gross School Bus Service, Inc.Fleet Purchase $700,000Annual Increase 5 year-2.5%; 7 year-3.0%, prefer CPIBase Year Price 5 year-$229/daylbus (44 buses) $1,813,680" 7 year-$225/daylbus (44 buses) $1,782,000Activity buses $60-1st 25 mil2 hours , then $25Ihr/$2.80miComments: 50+ years in the business

2. Brandywine Transportation, Inc.Fleet Purchase $1,059,000 (Replace 50% of fleet withAnnual IncreaseBase Year Price

newllate models)CPI, min 3% max 4%7 year-$207/daylbus (33 buses) $1,488,7807 year-$160/day/van ( 9) vans)

Other Pricing Aide-$151hr; Mid-day runs-$35IhrActivity buses $1.50/mi, $16Ihr, $40 minActivity vans $1.25/mi, $15Ihr, $35 minComments: Spun off from Gross, offered to lease facility for$1/yr and to maintain grounds vehicles / equipment at no cost


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3. Kistler Transportation, Inc.Fleet Purchase $890,250Annual Increase 2%Base Year Price 7 year-$216.50/day/bus, up to 1l0milday7 year-$154.50/day/van, up to 1l0mildayExcess mileage- $1.95/milbus, $1.50milvanOther Pricing Aide-$15Ihr; Noon run-$41.50/bus, $35/vanActivity buses $1.95/mi, $15.50Ihr, $50 minComments: Local businessman; offered $8.00 I day discount forno performance bond.

4. Paragon TransitFleet Purchase $702,000Annual Increase 2nd and 3rd year at 3%, thereafter use thePA Pupil Trans. Cost Index - min 2.5%, max 5.0%Base Year Price $1,626,480 with price breakdown:

AMIPM Bus $218/day, Mid-day $40AM or PM only Bus $1911dayAMIPM Mini-bus $190/day, Mid-day $40AMlPM Van $157/day, Mid-day $35

Other Pricing Aides $60/dayActivity buses $341br drive time, $211hr layover, $34 minComments: Many years in the industry; use ofDistrict facility;predicts an increased subsidy of$100,000+5. Krapf School Bus

Fleet Purchase $675,000Annual Increase CPI2.5%-6.0%Base Year Price 73-81p $218.35/day36-72p $212.75/day10-35p $203.85/day0-9p $180.35/dayOther Pricing K, noon runs $52.50/dayActivity buses $241br, $1.95/miComments: Long time bus company operator; no performancebond

6. Bieber Transportation GroupFleet Purchase $900,000 including parts inventoryAnnual Increase ?Base Year Price $1,945,348Activity buses $121,708Comments: Local resident, tour bus operator, school busexperience years ago. Will put GPS on fleet; use District facility,


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TAS

maintaining grounds equipment at no cost; will offer currentemployees their jobs at same pay and medical benefits, and401K; provided P&L (included annual benefits cost of$18,573/ year?).7. STAlKrise Bus Service

Fleet Purchase $844,500Annual Increase 3%Base Year Price 7 year - $1,918,260 for 33 buses, 10 nonCDL vans, 6 mid-day buses, 2 mid-day VoTech, 2 mid-day non-CDL, 180 days

Bus - $239/day (5 hr)Bus - AM or PM only $179.25/dayVan - $2241dayVan - AM or PM only $168/dayMidday - bus $55, van $45

Other Pricing Aides-$20Ihr, 2 hour min; trip rate/excesshourly rates - bus $30, van $20.Activity Buses $40Ihr, min 2 hoursActivity Vans $30Ihr, min 2 hoursComments: National company; $1.00 year for facility; buy partsas used at fair market value; install digital cameras at 10/year;decrease performance bond for 3 years until gone.

8. First StudentFleet Purchase $880,000Annual Increase ?Base Year Price Two pricing structures submitted, #1 withdrivers starting at $15.25Ihr and few benefits, and #2 withcurrent pay and FS paying 70% of employee-only premium forAetna Med. Ins. Both based upon 30 AMIPM buses, 2 PM onlybuses, 10 AMIPM vans, 7 mid-day vehicles, and 40 hoursoverage. #1

#2

Other PricingActivity buses

3 year-$1,626,6895 year-$1,598,3017 year-$1,586,7163 year-$1,818,4695 year-$1,784,5977 year-$1,771,126Mid-day runs - $25lhourPrime time (7-9/2-4) $150 up to 4 hours,$251hr over 4 hours. Off peak - $25Ihour.Comments: National company; includes the use of Districtfacility, and the District provides the fuel. Will maintain other


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TAS

District vehicles at $481 hr, and parts plus 10%. Offers theDistrict a 60 day termination for convenience clause.

As is evident by this summary, prices and conditions vary greatly. Ourrecommendations for moving forward can be found in Section 8 of thisreport. An expanded list of nonperformance penalties has also beenincluded in the Appendix for District use.FINANCIAL:According to the 20092010 Expenditure Format Flex Report from7/0112009 06/30/2010, the cost of operating the TransportationDepartment was $1,807,043. To compare District route costs withpotential contracted route costs, certain expenses must be removedfrom the budget, as they would continue even if contracted:Transportation Office (1)District Paid LayoverSports TripsContracted CarriersIU TransportationTotal

$100,000$ 9,290$ 17,866$ 1,034$ 37,875$166,065(1) Assumes that the District will continue to employ a FITtransportation coordinator (salary I benefits) and a seasonal routingassistant for summer updates, along with the necessary support -office, computer, routing software, training, association fees, etc.

For comparison purposes, we typically impute a cost for vehiclereplacement, as contracted costs include vehicle replacement costs,and the District did not replace any vehicles during the year shown.These costs can vary from $30,000+ for small buses/vans to $100,000+for fully equipped buses, and by age of replacement, tradein value,etc. Experience has taught us that full size buses tend to last longerthan the smaller buses, primarily due to the higher mileage of thesmaller buses utilized for outofdistrict runs. Schools around thecountry tend to keep smaller buses 610 years, and big buses up to 1220 years, and we would use an average replacement cost for thispurpose of $5,000/year. With 43 route buses, the District's averageannual replacement cost would be estimated at $215,000. TheDistrict's replacement cycle is slightly different as all buses are keptfor approximately 1820 years.

Northwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal ReportSection 4 . 6

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TAS

Adding the fleet replacement costs, and subtracting the adjustments,results in annual District costs breakdown as follows:

Total costs+Fleet Replacement-AdjustmentsNet District transportation costs

$1,807,043$ 215,000$ 166,065$1,855,978

District Operating Cost per route vehicle (38) =$48,842 (1)(lJ The number of routes /Drivers is based upon current year activity. SomeDrivers utilize more than one vehicle per day, accounting for the disparitybetween route Drivers (38) and route vehicles (43). Some FT Drivers work 7+hours/day, while some PT Drivers work less than 4 hours day.To accurately predict savings, these costs must be compared to theprices recently submitted by vendors. They varied from a low of$154.50/day for a van to $239/day for a 5 hour bus. For 180 days, thisequates to $27,810/van, $43,020Ibus. Add the $35 mid-day rate to the$154.50/day van, and that increases the annual van cost to $34,110.Add the $55 mid-day rate to the $239/day bus, and that increases theannual bus cost to $52,920. Costs could be lower if the Districtprovided some or all of the fleet. As is evidenced by thesecomparisons, unless the entire program is being contracted, eachroute being considered for contract ing must be evaluated based uponlength ofthe run, combined with associated wages and benefits.For example, a 6 hour District run, driven by a full-time drivermaking $20lhr, with health insurance benefits costing the District anestimated $1,OOO/month =$21,600 for wages ($20x6xI80) and $12,000for benefits, for a total of $33,600. Add the $5,000 for vehiclereplacement, and $3,420 for payroll add-ons (estimated 15% of wagesfor retirement, social security, unemployment, workers comp) and thetotal becomes $42,020. The same run if contracted at $215/dayAMJPM, and $40 for the mid-day run =$45,900 ($255xI80).Depending upon which proposal is being evaluated, District costs mayprove to be higher than contract costs, given the higher wages, thecost of related benefits, and the fact that the District provides a highlevel of service. If a vendor pays lower wages, and offers fewerbenefits, the difference between the two operations will be profits for


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the vendor and savings for the District. In the remaining sections ofthis report we will discuss what is driving District costs and what canbe done to reduce them.


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LEEI'EPLACEMENT

TAS

FLEET/FACILITY The District reports that it has 43 student transportation vehicles -43 on routes and 9 spares. The majority of the route vehicles are 72-81p buses, and we have detailed below a Bus Profile which shows thebuses by age, and the number of vehicles per model year, with theoldest vehicle being 21 years old, the newest vehicle being 3 years old,and an average age of 8.8 years. The van fleet is also shown below,with the oldest one being 12 years old, the newest being 4 years old,and an average age of 7.7 years.Spares are used as replacements during maintenance downtimes, oras supplemental vehicles should additional program demands occur(sports and field trips).Industry standards would typically have a spare ratio ofapproximately 10% to 20% of the route vehicles (4 to 8 vehicles). Theratio can vary depending on extra-curricular demands, specializedvehicle requirements (lift equipped), seating capacities, and theage/mileage of the fleet (olderlhigher mileage fleets need more sparebuses due to maintenance issues). Given the age and mileage of thefleet, we would expect to find 8 spares. Maintaining an inventory of 9spares is therefore reasonable. Should the District proceed with fullor partial contracting, many or all of the spares would not be needed,and in that case we recommend tha t the District auction off unneeded vehicles The District has been sporadic in its replacement of vehicles, buyingnone some years and up to 10 other years. This creates a bubble inthe budget process requiring additional up-front funding, or long-termfinancing. In those years that buses are not purchased, the funds aretransferred to the capital reserve account. Based upon the Districts"15 Year" cycle, it appears that up to 10 vehicles may need to bereplaced over the next two-three years. There is no industry formulafor replacement; we conducted an informal poll of national contractorsa few years ago and found that their preference was for replacingvans/small buses every 5 years, and big buses every 8 years, with thereason given that this is when they felt the breakeven point wasreached on repairs versus replacement. They also felt that trade-invalue diminished substantially after this point. The District reportsthat current replacements have been put on hold until a review of


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FACILITY

TAS

outsourcing is complete. Based upon current fleet size and needs, werecommend that should the District maintain the currentoperation, it should attempt to stabilize purchases at 3buses/year and 12 smaller vehicles every year, once the olderbuses are replaced as noted above. As part of our review, we toured the District transportation facility,and found it to be sufficient for servicing the needs of a fleet of thissize. The bus:mechanic ratio is 26:1, which is very productive,especially considering they maintain 8 other District vehicles, as wellas various buildings and grounds equipment. Any further growth inthe fleet would require additional staffing. As it is now, themechanics do not have the time to keep the fleet clean, and werecommend that this be addressed by hiring a Driver or Aideto wash the buses during runs. I f five buses were washed daily,the entire fleet could be done weekly. This can be paid at a lower rate- often the same as the Meeting Rate.

Year199019911992199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010Total

# Buses1123111

74142

310

41

FLEET LIST# Other Vehicles

21

3131

11


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SUPERVISION

TAS

LABORAs with any District operation, labor plays a vital role in the successor failure of the transportation program. There are three areas ofimportance - Supervision, Maintenance, and Driving, as detailedbelow.Given the limited time frame that studies such as this work within, itwas not intended that individuals be evaluated, but rather thepositions themselves be studied, with recommendations madewherever improvements appeared possible. To that end, jobdescriptions were reviewed, procedures were evaluated, andindividuals were interviewed within the Department, and at theDistrict level.As part ofthis phase of the study, we interviewed:

The Business Administrato r The Transportation Coordinator The Elementary, Middle School and High School Principals (by survey) The Drivers and Mechanics

Based upon the discussions held during these interviews and meetings,our overall impression of the Department is very positive. Mostindividuals stated that communication with the Department was verygood, with the Department being responsive and accommodating. Whenstudent discipline issues arise, they feel that most of the time they arehandled appropriately, although some write-ups are not always clear.The buses appear to be clean and well maintained, with no reportedmechanical issues.We reviewed the routing software capabilities with the Supervisor, andalthough new to the position, she seems comfortable with thefundamentals of the system. In order to take advantage of the moreadvanced capabIlities it offers, we recommend that the Districtinvest in a day of software training. The Supervisor also mentionedhow difficult it can be to recruit and retain substitute Drivers. To assistin this effort, we have provided in the Appendix the "ABC's of Driver


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Recruitment", assembled from our studies of hundreds of other schooldistricts around the country, and we recommend its use.The transportation office is staffed by the Coordinator and two part-timeClerks. This is workable for most of the year, although probablyunderstaffed during the Fall start-up. It was mentioned that Driverpayroll takes the District several days each month to process. Althoughthere are a wide variety of time clocks available, one that we have seen inuse in other Districts can be found at y,'ww.smarIQlock.GQ.l1!. Should theDistrict move in the direction of a fully contracted program, we encouragethe District to continue to employ someone to maintain the routes inhouse, manage the contracted runs, and interface with parents.In order to provide the Board and Administration with a monthly recapof transportation activities, we recommend that the Directorcomplete a ' 'Monthly Report" similar to the sample provided in theAppendix. (It will be emailed to the District for your customization.)

MAINTENANCE In all of our meetings and interviews, the overall impression of thevehicle maintenance program was very good. No breakdowns in recentmemory, and supportive staff, were the comments heard. Staffing waslean until recently, due to filling the position of the Mechanic.

DRIVERS

TAS

Our review of recent PA Department of Transportation InspectionRecords revealed that the vehicles inspected received their stickers.This is an indication that the Mechanics are staying on top of themaintenance program. I t was noted that the Head Mechanic isresponsible for entering all of the work orders in the computer, and forkeeping up on the inventory system. These are tasks usually provided byone of the Clerks in the Transportation Office, but the office is not staffedto accommodate that need. We recommend that one of the Driversbe offered that task in between runs - probably 4 hourslweek.As mentioned in the Fleet Section, the bus:mechanic ratio is 26:1, whichis very productive, especially considering they maintain other vehicles aswell.I t is important to note the perspective that we take toward thesepositions. It is essential that a District employ highly qualified personnelin sufficient numbers to meet the on-going needs of the District. At thesame time, it is important that any agreements or procedures provide theDistrict with the flexibility needed to adjust programs to change servicelevels with an accompanying change in labor costs. Most significantly,


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the agreement should support and facilitate the prOVISIon of qualityservices to the students and the education community. While thehandling of student discipline issues was not raised as a major issue, weencourage the District to seek out additional training programs fromorganizations such as www.PTSLorgand..Y_\w.NIJl.SA.doi.gov. TheDrivers did mention that feedback from Principals can be slow in comingat times.We have reviewed the wage and benefits provided to the Drivers.Following are our perspectives from a transportation viewpoint. Ourcomments only relate to transportation issues, and do not reflect anyreview of the other employee groups covered or impacted by thisagreement. We understand the critical and important nature ofcontinuing to offer attractive wage and benefit packages, and thedifficulty to all parties in making changes to historical practices, yet westrongly believe that any package needs to be consistent with the goal ofaffordable, quality transportation services. Additionally, we believe thatan package must provide the District's Administration with the flexibilityto modify assignments and costs to reflect the realities of programdemands, student enrollment, and economic conditions.1) Paid time off - bus driving is a part-time job. It is a relatively uniquefunction in that an absent employee must be replaced by a sub. This notonly creates the incremental cost for the substitute employee, but itimpacts the quality of the service, given that the best transportationservice has the same Drivers on the same buses, every day. In this way,they know the students; the students know what to expect from theDrivers; and the Drivers know what looks "right or wrong" along a routeor at a stop.As shown below, a full-time driver could potentially have 10 paid days offin a school year, while a part-time Driver could have 4 paid days off in aschool year (not including bereavement time). A sub would be requiredfor all sick, personal or bereavement days. When sub's cannot be found,the shop or office staff have to drive.Within various sections of the Support Staff Handbook the following paidtime off benefits for Drivers are detailed:

:.- Personal days - FT 2, PT 2:.- Sick days - FT 8, PT 2


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In order to reduce the use of sick days, the District could offer anannual $250 stipend for perfect attendance, a practice werecommend as a means to achieve the goal of having the same Driverson the same routes as often as possible.2) Health Insurance - the District provides health care coverage for fulltime Drivers, with a variety of plans available. The Departmental costfor health, dental, life, disability, eye care, and prescriptions last yearwas reported to be $289,687. The District is commended for its attemptsat controlling the cost of these benefits. We are seeing a trend wheredistricts are taking the position that there should be an allocation basedupon hours worked. For example, if a full time position is 8 hours/day,then an employee working 6 hours/day would be eligible for 75% of thebenefits. We recommend that the District move towards a moreequitable allocation of benefits.3) Athletic trips - the current system of assigning Drivers appears towork well. An attempt to control these costs is evident by establishing anActivity Pay Rate. Costs related to sports transportation are borne bythe Transportation Department; for greater accountability the Districtmight consider making them a part of the Athletic Department budget.As budget cuts continue to threaten sports programs, we are seeing amove towards allowing - even encouraging - Coaches to drive. In somedistricts, included in the Coaches job description is a requirement for aCDL, so that they can drive a school bus on sports runs. In some casesthey are paid a small stipend to do so, but it is viewed as a cost-cuttingprocedure in order to keep the sports programs alive. Although someCoaches don't like to drive, they do like having the ability to keep theirbus at the game.In summary, while the provision of paid time off and health benefitsenables the District to attract and retain employees, it also significantlyincreases the cost of providing transportation services. The District hasworked towards reducing these costs, as noted above.


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....RRENTPROGRAM

MODIFIED DOUBLETRIPPING

ROUTINGThe District is double tripped, under the following bell time schedule:

High SchoolMiddle SchoolNW ElementaryW ElementaryTotal transported

# Students7:45a.m.7:50a.m.9:00a.m.9:05a.m.

2:37p.m.2:27p.m.3:25p.m.3:30p.m.

Transported8385735195692,499

The routes designed to transport these students to the 4 in-Districtschools are relatively efficient, due primarily to the spread betweenbell times. As is evidenced by the number and variety of assignmentsfor each Driver/vehicle on a daily basis (see table at end of thissection), the Department has done a thorough job of maximizing theavailable assets.Several factors drive transportation costs - the labor costs, bell times,and transportation policies. Regarding labor costs the District hasattempted to control these costs by employing both full-time and part-time employees, by setting lower rates for meetings and activity runs,and by on-going efforts to control benefit costs.Evaluating the pro's and con's of various bell time options is not aneasy task for a district to undertake. There are many factors toconsider, such as mileage, road conditions, policies, enrollment, ridingtimes, vehicle capacities, professional contractual agreements, etc.The District is double tripped, but may want to consider modifying thebell time structure to reduce the need for so many buses.As noted above, the High SchoollMiddle School is the first run in themorning. I t is not possible to fit 77 high school/middle school studentson a 77 passenger school bus, as the seats are designed for three 13"passengers. Using 52 available seats (2 per seat) at the HSfMS level,there would need to be 27 buses on the first runs (1,411 students/52seats per bus); due to some students driving or riding with others, andafter school sports, only 24 buses are utilized. On the second runs(ES), it can be possible to reach full 77p capacity, in which case 14-16buses would be needed (1,088 students177 seats per bus - allowing for


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differences in seating capacities); 20 are currently utilized as belltimes don't allow enough time for fewer buses to cover the areasserved by those campuses. I t would appear that with more timebetween bells, 4 to 6 fewer buses would be needed for these runs (20currently used versus 14-16 if able to fill the buses), as the remainingbuses would have more time to pick up and drop off students. Asuggested bell time format would look as follows:

HSMSES (2)

7:45-2:377:50-2:279:15-3:40The times can be modified as needed to meet the educational needs ofthe students, as these are designed with transportation efficiency inmind. We recommend that the District utilize the routingsoftware to develop new routes reflecting the possible changesin bell times, in order to consider the fleet impact. Eliminatingju.st 4 bus runs would be very timely given the current evaluation ofoutsourcing. These buses may be able to transport non-publicstudents, eliminating the need for some of those buses entirely.Out of district runs cannot always be double tripped due to theirlocations. It is possible, however, to transport students on multiplevehicles to transfer locations. We commend the District for having thenon-public students ride in-district buses to an assigned building,then transporting them from that point to a transfer point and ontotheir destinations.In the past, the District has utilized the local IU to transport studentsto out-of-District locations, although that is not presently the case.We recommend that the District contact them for a review ofyour Special Education placements and non-public locationsto see if they can provide these services less expensively.Shown below is a schematic of a typical day in the District:


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Lc . r r J . \ J J . .L IJ'LRI,VERIBUS DAILY SCHEDULE. , ,', ,. - , '" " ,- " : . . ,,:,.'," : ' ~ '

RedactedDriver/Bus DailySchedule for the

safety of our driversand students


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RedactedDriver/Bus DailySchedule for the

safety of our driversand students


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RedactedDriver/Bus DailySchedule for thesafety of our driversand students


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RedactedDriver/Bus DailySchedule for thesafety of our drivers

and students


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MANAGEMENT OPTIONSOur review of the transportation program includes an analysis ofmanagement options available to the District. This includes anevaluation of the pro's and con's of operating alternatives that webelieve should be considered by the District:

1. Continue to operate in-house as is, with no changes.2. Continue operating in-house, with modifications.3. Consider contracting - full, management, partial.On the following pages, we have described the options that weevaluated in this report, highlighting the results that the Districtmight expect from each decision.1. CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS IS, WITH NO CHANGES.Under this option, you would make no changes to the way youcurrently operate the transportation program.

Pro's: You would not have any labor related consequences thatmay result from changes to the program, nor would you haveparents upset about proposed bell time changes.Con's: The District will be unable to realize efficienciesprojected from some of the changes discussed in this report, andwould continue to face budgetary concerns associated with theeconomy and increasing demands for services.

2. CONTINUE OPERATING IN-HOUSE, WITH MODIFICATIONSUnder this option, you would make one or more modificationsdiscussed within this report, in an attempt to reduce operating costs.

Pro's: The District would continue to provide high qualitytransportation services to the majority of students presentlybeing transported. These services could be provided at lowercost - with savings dependent upon the modificationsimplemented.


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Con's: The District could expect a negative response from someparents, due to changes in schedules and/or services. Sometransportation employees could lose hours or positions, althoughsome of the reduction may be minimized thru retirement andnormal attrition.

3. CONSIDER CONTRACTINGThe District recently solicited proposals from vendors, receiving eightresponses. The proposals were for full contracting, although it hasbeen our experience that most vendors would be interested in partialcontracts, if they have a facility in the area.3.1 Full ContractingUnder this option, the District would sell the fleet and terminateemployment with affected staff members. The contractor would beresponsible for providing a facility, or could use the District facility.

Pro's: The District would, relatively speaking, be out of thetransportation business. A significant amount of administra tivetime and effort now devoted to transportation (payrollprocessing, accounts payable, benefits administration,budgeting, purchasing, etc.) would be eliminated. The Districtwould get a cash infusion the first year due to the sale of thefleet. A competitive bid environment may result in somesavings. Labor related issues such as recruitment and trainingwould become the responsibility of the contractor. Annualcontract cost increases would be controlled by market pricingand/or negotiated price caps.Con's: The District could expect quite an emotional period ofupheaval among the staff, and some members of the community.To attract credible bidders who would be required to invest infleet and possibly facility, a contract of at least three-five yearswould be necessary. Day to day operation of the program wouldbe out of District control, resulting in a loss of flexibility.Service levels are often reported to be not as high as thoseprovided in-house, especially early in the conversion. The costsof sports and field trips typically increase faster than the cost of

Northwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal ReportSection 8 . 2

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home to school transportation. It is difficult to get back intotransportation should the District ever desire to do so.

3.2 Management ContractingUnder this option, the District would continue to own the fleet andgarage, but would contract out all labor. You would continue topurchase the vehicles, or phase them out as replacement time occurs.

Pro's: You effectively contract out the most expensive aspect ofstudent transportation - the labor - while you continue tocontrol the assets. This type of bid is attractive to somecontractors because a sizeable investment is not involved.Should it become advisable to retake the program in the future,it is much easier because you have retained ownership of thefleet.Con's: You are still in the transportation business; you muststill invest in fleet replacements. You would sti ll have a difficulttime converting the employees to private sector employment. Ifrecommended policy changes are made, some savings may berealized, but they would not equal those of full contracting dueto continued ownership of the fleet, which would precludeadditional use of the fleet by the contractor. Some contractorsmay not bid due to the ability of the District to re-take theprogram.

3.3 Partial ContractingUnder this option, the District would provide transportation for partof the program - in-District transportation only, for example,contracting out the other parts of the program - special needs andout-of-District non-public, for example - to private carriers or the IU.

Pro's: The District would only need to maintain the fleet andstaff necessary to transport students within District boundaries.Costs could be reduced if contractors transport multiple nonpublic schools for several public schools within the area. Growthin these programs would only require a call to the contractor.Fewer bus/car parking spots would be required at the Districtlots, and fewer buses would result in less traffic congestion in


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these areas, and maintenance staffing could be reduced.Contract costs are more easily controlled due to your ability toretake some runs if service and/or costs are unsatisfactory.Sports and field trip costs can be contained due to having aDistrict fleet.Con's: The routing and responsibility for these runs wouldremain with the District. Due to some of the proposed contractruns being currently integrated with public school runs, overallinitial savings may be reduced. The cost for such services mustbe monitored, and the quality of services provided must bewatched closely. Some current District employees would losetheir jobs.

Based upon the findings of this report, it is our recommendationthat the District consider the implementation of Option 3.3,making as many of the other operational changes suggested in thisreport as possible. Our analysis of the District operation indicatesgood routing and pay/benefit controls, which have resulted in coststhat are not significantly more than market pricing, as shown in theproposals submitted. Given the need to replace several of the buses inthe near future, we believe that the timing is right to negotiate acontract with a vendor that has local operations in place. A five yearcontract for up to ten buses, operated out of a local facility, wouldprovide a better understanding of contracted services and a real-timeanalysis of pricing, while lightening the maintenance load at theDistrict garage.


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APPENDIX

A PRINCIPAL SURVEYSB FINANCIAL REPORTSC SAMPLE MONTHLY REPORTD ABC'S OF DRIVER RECRUITMENTE SAMPLE NON-PERFORMANCE LANGUAGE

The complete Appendix is on file in the District Business Offu:e.

Northwestern Lehigh Public SchoolsFinal Report

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BUILDING PRINCIPALFAX SURVEY

APPENDIX A

The Northwestern Lehigh School District is in the process of evaluating theservices provided by the Transportation Department. TranspoI1ation AdvisoryServices (TAS) was engaged to assist in this endeavor. ;\s a Building Principal,your response to this survey is a valuable source of int;:lI"I11ation, so we ask that youtake a few minutes to answer the questions below and fax back your response.I. Regarslffig the morning delivery of students to your building:

',0Always on timeo Usually on timeo Regularly late:2, Rega r4ng the afternoon pick-Up of students at your building:2 l A ; ~ a y s on timeo Usually on timeo Regularly late3, Regarfofng mid-day transportation (shuttles, tield trips, etc,):Always on timeo Usually on timeo Regularly late4, R e g a r ~ ~ t h e Department's handling of student discipline:' ~ ~ i : a y s reliable information and communicationo Usually reliable information and communicationo Too much misinformation and poor communication5. R e g ~ r d i general lines of communication with the DepaJ1ment:o lways ~ l \ ' a i l a b l e and great to \Nork with

Usually available and good to work \\itho Hard to reach, but good to work \\itho Hard to reach and hard to work withPage lor 2

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6. AreEou rovided with bus lists and student lists prior to the first day of school,and upd d versions during the year?

Alwayso Usuallyo We get them, but they are late/inaccurate (please circle one or both)o No - we don't get them

7. Which of e following best describes the overall attitudes of the transportationemploye with whom you have contact?

Positiveo Ambivalento Negativeo Other_______

8. In g ~ e n e r a l how would you rate the transportation services that you haveexperienc in the last 18 months:Greato Goodo Averageo Poor9. Feel free to add any comments _________________

10. Your name ___ Phone NumberBldg.

PLEASE FAX YOUR RESPONSE BY t 1/5/10 TO 1-866-348-2899, or email tocandrews@transportationconsu/tants.com

Thank You!

Page 20f2

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TASBUILDING PRINCIPALFAX SURVEY

The Northwestem Lehigh School District is in the process of evaluating theservices provided by the Transportation Department. Transportation AdvisoryServices (TAS) was engaged to assist in this endeavor. As a Building Principal,your response to this survey is a valuable source of information, so we ask that youtake a few minutes to answer the questions below and fax back your response.I. Reganj.iol1g the moming delivery of students to your building:

a;:(Always on time "o Usually on timeo Regularly late 196 O't w : 1 J ~

2. Regarqj.ng the afternoon pick-up of students at your building:a 'Always on timeo Usually on timeo Regularly late

3. Regarcjrng mid-day transportation (shuttles, field trips, etc.): /CJ Usually on timelliAlways on time ~ { o ~ CJ Regularly late

4. Regarding the D e ~ a r t m . e n t ' s h ~ d 1 i n g of student . d i S ~ i P l i n e : ~ Cl"AlwayS'rehable mformatIOn and commulllcatlon!ltUsually reliable information and communicationCl Too much misinformation and poor communication

5. Regarding general lines of communication with the Department:Cl }clways available and great to work withutUsually available and good to work witho -:/arJ to reach, but good to work witho Hard to reach and hard to work with

Page 10[2

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6. Are you provided with bus lists and student lists prior to the first day of school,and updated versions during the year?~ ~ : : ~ -t:Jwr. 'bIu ~ - t I u u . o We get them, but ~ , - a r e ate maccurate (please circle one Of both) 0ONo-wedon'tgetthem W . ~ .M

7. Which of the following best describes the overall am udes of the transportationemployees with whom you have contact?o !;XIsitive(Ij(Ambivalento Negativeo Other______8. In general, how would you rate the transportation services that you haveexperienced in the last 18 months:o Greato Yood t1.aS-t " m01l :J-h,v=-lt'Averageo Poor

9. Feel free to add any comments________________

Phone Number( 1 r ; ~ ; ; o f students at thisPLEASE FAX YOUR RESPONSE BY 11/5/10 TO 1-866-348-2899, or email to

[email protected]

Thank You!

Page 2 of2

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BUILDING PRINCIPALFAX SURVEYThe Northwestern Lehigh School District is in the process of evaluating theservices provided by the Transportation Department. Transportation AdvisoryServices eTAS) was engaged to assist in this endeavor. As a Building Principal,your response to this survey is a valuable source of information, so we ask that youtake a few minutes to answer the questions below and fax back your response.1. Regarding the morning delivery of students to your building:

o Always on time)2:(Usuallyon timeo Regularly late2. Regarding the afternoon pick-up of students at your building:o Always on time

~ s u a l l y on timeo Regularly lateAM K t , , ~ ptcl- v D3. Regarding mid-day transportation (shtlHtes,ftefd-trips;-ett;.): \

.J8('Always on timeo Usually on timeo Regularly late4. Regarding the Department's handling of student discipline:o Always reliable information and communication~ s u a l l y reliable information and communicationo Too much misinformation and poor communication5. Regarding general lines of communication with the Department:~ l w a y s available and great to work witho Usually available and good to work witho Hard to reach, but good to work witho Hard to reach and hard to work with

Page lof2

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, .

6. Are you provided with bus lists and student lists prior to the first day of school,and updated versions during the year?o Always~ D j l s u a l l y get them, but they are atelinaccurate ease circle one or both)o No - we don't get them

7. Which of the following best describes the overall attitudes of the transportationemployees with whom you have contact?~ o s i t i v e o Ambivalento Negativeo Other - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

8. In general, how would you rate the transportation services that you haveexperienced in the last 18 months:o Great)EJ:Good -to \ f ~ ~ t ' \ - i J &o Averageo Poor

10. Your nameBldg. Name Phone Numberof students at this buildPLEASE FAX YOUR RESPONSE BY 1115/10 TO 1-866-348-2899, or email to

cand rews(iiltT

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BUILDING PRINCIPALFAX SURVEY

The Northwcstern Lehigh School District is in the process of evaluating theservices provided by the Transportation Departmcnt. Transportation AdvisoryServices (TAS) was engaged to assist in this endeavor. As a Building Principal,your response to this survey is a valuable source of information, so we ask that youtake a few minutes to answer the questions below and fax back your response.I. Regarding the morning delivery of students to your building:

o Always on timefI< Usually on timeo Regularly late2. Regarding the afternoon pick-up of students at your building:o Always on time

fI< Usually on timeo Regularly late3. Regarding mid-day transportation (shuttles, tield trips, etc.):o Always on time

fI< Usually on timeo Regularly late4. Regarding the Department's handling of student discipline:o Always reliable information and communication

fI< Usually reliable information and communicationo Too much misinformation and poor communication5. Regarding general lines of communication with the Depattmcnt:o Always available and great to work with

fI< Usually available and good to work witho Hard to reach, but good to work witho Hard to rcach and hard to work withPage )01'

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6. Are you provided \vith bus lists and studcnt lists prior to the lir'st day oj" school,and updated versions during the year')o Always

o Usuallyif< We get them, but they arc late inaccurat (please circle one or both)o No - we don't get them7. Which of the following best describes the overall attitudes of the transportationemployees with whom you have contact?

if< Positiveo Al11bivaiento Negativeo Other8. In general, how would you rate the transportation services that you haveexperienced in the last 18 months:o Great

if< Goodo Averageo Poor9. Feel liTe to add any comments: Sometimes busses need to be substituted andarrive later than expected and we would appreciate as much advanced notice aspossible so we can inforl11 the students. If the bus is going to be more than I or 2minutes late, we can hold the children on that bus and let the rest of the studentsgo. One of the frustrating pieces has been when there is a bus change and theschool is notified and the driver is disagreeing that the child should be on the bus.This upsets the students and holds up all of the busses.10. Your name ____ hone NumberName Grades of-_ ._._------

PLLASL FAX YOUR RESPONSE BY 11/5/10 TO 1-866-348-2899, or el11ailto~ _ ; \ J 1 5 ) 1: ~ ~ . ! l ' : I ? D , n ' _ ! l i - ' - l ! J r ~ ! E ~ i g L t ~ ~ ! - ' - ( .c ~ 1 J l}

Thank You.'Page .2 or:::

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Expend i t u r e Forma t - Flex Repor tBudge t /Ac tua l Expendi tu re Summary

From 07/01/2009 To 06/30/2010

64 3

f a f l

O r i g i n a lBudget

Current Outstanding Expended/Cross R ef Descr ip t ion Budget Encumbrances Received Balance %

*** OBJECT 17 6 - EMPLOYEE INS OPT OUT TOTALS: 900 ,00 900.00 0.00 0 .00 900n 00-178 -0 00 -00- 000- CO:- ODD --0000 L:' ~ ' ! l' 1 ; E i : ' ( ) : - ' ~ ) ( " : C ; c ';U: SPORT TR IPS ',; .00 O.CD 0 .00 7, Rfj6. 0;' -1 ;, f- f I;

** * SUB-BREAK TOTAL: 00-0000-100-000-00-000-000-000-0000 1,025,038.00 1,025,038.00 0.00 955,854.18 69,183*** OBJECT 17 8 - SPORT TRIPS TOTALS: 0.00 0.00 0 .00 17 ,866 .02 -17,866

00 -7. L l- 0 00 - {}() - 000- CO > GCD- 0000 : ":--.' ~ : : ; ; : ' " F ! W ) O ' 2 C J ' Y } I ~ \ ' ~ MSD _ ~ C A L INS. ?3'1,4H.OO 2J7,416.GD D .0':-\ 229,;,:-' . ( , ' ~ 'I , ~ i 6 '" . 3

*** OBJECT 21 1 - MEDICAL INS. TOTALS: 237,416 .00 237,416.00 0 .00 229 ,551 .65 7,864700 - 2 1 - oOU - 00

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-- Expendi ture Format - Fl e x R e p o r tB udge t /Ac tua l Expenditure Summary

From 07/01/2009 To 06/30/2010

64 3

faf

OriginalBudge t

Current outstanding Expended!Cross Ref Descr . iption

*** OBJECT 25 0 - UNEMP. COMPENSATION TOTALS;. . 1': ' .":)C;:-C

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Expend i t u r e Forma t - Flex Repor tBudge t /Ac tua l Expendi tu re Summary

64 3

From 07/01/2009 To 06/30/2010

Cross R ef Descr ip t ion** * OBJECT 51 6 - IU TRANSPORTATION TOTALS:-) U C > ~ ) : ' ':)OD-0 0 0 00 - 0 f;O"(}OO-' O O O ~ ) J' . ' '; : 'dCi);::";:;":;;"(I! A U ~ . O 1..1ABTl,l'TY It-;'S.

*** OBJECT 52 2 - AUTO LIABILITY INS. TOTALS:] - , ~ O - ( ) O O - O O - O O O - 0 6 0 - C O O - O O O O - ,';::;\; i ' : J : : ~ ' ( ) f , , ) PRINTING/BINDING

*** OBJECT 55 0 - PRINTING/BINDING TOTALS:'7(;:' i-",QO-OCDOO-OOO-060-000-000C ,H,',j,-;',.:,:"i" "' :) I ; i) TRAVF:L/JN DrST

** * SUB-BREAK TOTAL; 00-0000-500-000-00-000-000-000-0000*** OBJECT 58 0 - TR AVEL /IN DIST TOTALS:

," '" , i (J TECHNOLOGY

*** OBJECT 61 7 - TECHNOLOGY TOTALS:"? (:c - (, 18 - uOO - 00 - 000"" 04 l- C l O O , ~ " J O ( ) C l ., Am-1n; S O ; : " T W A R E ! ~ J \ . ; : NTf:NA" ; C:,,. - U'i-; -C.'\'; Q OD-'J no -0 6(l-'J 00 - 00 2 0 ' . ,",'.' ; "n " ::"0.-.'1'" r ; ~ ' AD"1IN SOFTWA R/lJ',;" t N1'2NA

*** OBJECT 61 8 - ADMIN SOFTWARE/MAINTENA TOTALS:O - O ( ) O - J O O : 1 . 'i 't C;ENERlI.L S L J ? P ~ " I E S / l ' 1 A T ' LS

~ ~ ( - ; 1 ' 1 - ~ ~ u O U - C 6 1 - n 6 0 - 0 0 0 - C C 8 8 ; GENERAL S U P P ~ l E ' S / ~ A T ' (,;;-72 : - E ! ~ - n C n - 0 0 - 0 b 2 - J G O - 8 0 I J - C O o n 'f : "f,:' C;ENERAL S U ? P L ~ : : ' : ; / M J l , T ' ! s

jQ-JOU-OO-06J-06C-O() -oe08 i ' ~ ' ( ' f < C t - ~ GENEF1)',-L S1.H'1':" [ ~ : s n ~ . r , T ' 1 .S- ~ : " , ! ) J-00-064-060-000-008 : ' GEt-lERi\I, S U P ~ - ' , - i '-;/;1.11'1' s

!::i (,lC, :' (: C) - ( ) ~ ) - ~ , ; f-'.-; - [) o(] -COG - COCr: "c., (" GENt:r.AL S U 2 P L :',:;/:-'!J\T' ~ . : ; L ~ ' j - , ; ; ~ : - J U - 0 6 ( : ' - { ) 6 ( ) - G O U - ( ) C : ~ u GENEP,])'L S U F ' ? L . r ~ , ~ , /"11\'[" I. : ! ~ ' ~ U ; ; l G - 0 6 7 - C 6 a - ~ O O - C ~ ~ 8 ; , G ~ N E 8 A L S U ? P L ! ~ : ; ! ~ A r ' l

-.Jr ' ) - ~ ~ B - O ( 0 - 0 ~ ' ; - C O D ' :,;F:Nr:S.AL : ; J ? " , ~ _ L : . / : _ 1 ! \ ~ - ' ; c

*** OBJECT 61 9 - GENERAL SUPPLIES/MAT'LS TOTALS:' ~ ' ) )(;(;-;:0:>:-- ,)",'. Gl\SOL T

*** OBJECT 626 - GASOLINE TOTALS:;)';:; . " , ~ ; ~ : ; ~ : L :::)!:: L

* * * OBJECT 627 - DIESEL FUEL TOTALS:11/03 /20 iu 02: 18: 27 PM NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DI S

O r i g i n a lBudge t

95,829 .0049 ,6SS.00

49,655 .00iCC.OO

100.001., i ou. no146,684.00

1,100.000.00

0 .0 0D.no

("S' lD.no

2,830 .00un,llS.no

O,()On.GOO.(lO

uo; ) ,0[ ;

~ ) O

D.DOC. :lr'

103,115 .00[::,:):"]\;.

12,000 .00

250,000.00

f a f l

CUr r en t Outs t and ing Expended/Bu d g et Encumbrances Rece ived Balance %

95,829 .0049,6', 'J:).0G

49,655 .00lDe.OI)

100.00t, 100 .00146,684.00

1,100.000 .0 0

0 .00

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-- Expendi ture Format - Flex R epor tBudget /Actua l Expenditure Summary

From 07/01/2009 To 06/30/2010

Ori g i na l Current Outstanding

643

fa f

Expended/Cross Ref Descr ipt ion Budget Budget Encumbrances Re c e ive d Ba la n ce %

;:: 7 C D 64 9 - ceo - 80 . 2:>0 E8 -0 CC'-.;J 00 0 10 ] 'COH =

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APPENDIX CNORTHWESTERN LEHIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTTRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

Monthly Report To AdministrationFor 20(Calendar Month)1. # Full Operating Days - Year-To-Date2. # Full Operating Days Remaining in Year3. Home-To-School Mileage:

A Regular RunsB. Special Education RunsC. Occupational Ed. RunsD. Late RunsE. Other (describe) _____F. Total Home-to-School4. Special Runs Mileage:

A Sports TripsB. Field TripsC. Other (describe)_____D. Total Special Runs5. Special Runs Labor:

A Sports TripsB. Field TripsC. Other (describe)_____D. Total Special Runs

6. District Fuel Usage:A GasolineB. DieselC. Other7. Accident Information:

Monthly

_____ gals_____ gals_____ gals

_____ days_____ daysYear-lo-Date

_____ gals_____ gals_____ galsDescribe any accidents and attach copy of reports filed. Explain impact upon operations.

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8. Safety and Training Activity:

9. Operating Changes This Month:(new employees, route changes, new procedures, etc.)

10. Projected changes and their effects on the program:

DATE ______________ BY ______ ~ - - ~ ~ - - - - - -Coordinator

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APPENDIX 0

The ABC's of Driver Recruitment and RetentionA. Advertise - recruitment is on-going, so your advertising should be aswell. Think about a specific segment of your labor pool, and try to reachthem. For example, target retirees in retirement communities, collegestudents in campus newspapers, the unemployed/under employed in localPennysavers, etc.B. Benefits - many forms of benefits will be highlighted in this list, but herewe'll discuss a Birthday gift. Approach an upscale restaurant that driverstypically don' t frequent. Suggest to the owners that you will be glad todistribute gift certificates to your employees (provided free to you and

valued up to $20), that can be applied to one meal for the recipients, validonly on their birthday. This is not to be a buy one - get one free coupon.Point out that few people want to eat alone on their birthday, so it is likelythat they will bring a paying guest. The restaurant gets customers theywouldn't normally attract, you get an employee benefit that costs younothing, and your employees are impressed that you remembered themon their birthday with a gift.C. Communication - always be on the lookout for ways to communicate themessage that your district is a great place to work. This can be done onyour web site, in newspapers, in a company newsletter, on bulletin boards,local radio, etc.D. Develop - the habit of knowing your employees first names, and thenknowing something positive about them ... their kids, their heritage, theirhobbies, etc. Then talk briefly with them on occasion, letting them knowyou take an interest in their interests.E. Education - not to be confused with training, offer educational subsidiesto employees that take courses that will positively affect your program.For example, let drivers know that a local school is offering courses oncustomer service, and offer to refund Y:z the tuition upon completion. It canbe limited to a certain number of employees/courses per year, so as not tobecome too expensive.F. Flexibility - drivers are used to being flexible to meet the demands of thedistrict, but endeavor to give them as much scheduling notice as you can- at least 48 hours whenever possible.G. Gossip - some people love to gossip, and drivers often have lots of freetime to join in. It can be harmful if district gossip gets out of hand, soencourage them to be part of the solution to concerns they hear about, asopposed to becoming part of the problem.H. Health Insurance - one of the most expensive, and desired, benefits. Tryto offer some shanng of costs to make it an attractive benefit. Forexample, if you pay 90% of the employee premium and 50% of the family

\\ ww. r anspon

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premium for full time employees, offer prorated premium contributions topart-time employees. If a full time employee works 40 hours/week, thenoffer a driver who works 20 hours a week 50% of the premiums providedto full time employees. This could be subject to negotiated benefits./. Internet advertising - this is one of the most efficient ways to reach both

prospective and current employees. Post your website addresseverywhere, making sure it's on your business cards, letterhead, vehicles,uniforms, school newsletters, etc.J. Join - become active in as many civic and social organizations as youand your management team can handle, and let them know of your needfor drivers. Personal referrals are still a strong source of employees.K. K.LS.S. - Keep It Straight and Simple. Don't make it difficult for potentialdrivers to contact you. An easy to remember phone number, an attentiongrabbing website and/or email address, and a quick response to allinquiries will boost your return on recruitment efforts.L. Look-out - always be on the look-out for potential drivers. Articles about

layoffs at local businesses, graduations at local community colleges, newsabout a new wave of immigrants, can all be potential employmentresources.M. Military - recent military retirees make great drivers, as they are oftenlooking for supplement income without the need for benefits. Trywwwmii"ltarv.com to reach this resource.N. Newsmakers - be alert for any occasion to put your transportationdepartment in the news. It can be a promotion, an award, a donation, anew service, and any other news item unique to your business.O. Opportunity - look for ways to package the driving position as anopportunity .. an opportunity to work a flexible shift .. an opportunity tohelp others ... an opportunity to travel to sporting events ... an opportunityto meet interesting people, etc.P. Pride - show your pride in your school and the student transportationindustry. Display your name and logo everywhere you can. Publicize anydonations and/or volunteer efforts of your department.Q. Qualify - although driver shortages can be frustrating, try to avoid hiring"warm bodies" to fill driver positions. Qualify applicants to ensure a goodfit within your organization.

R. Referral Fees - encourage your current employees to refer other jobapplicants, and reward them - $50 when they start, and another $50 after180 days.S. Signing Bonus - just like pro sports (only much smaller amounts). Newdrivers could receive $100 when they complete their training, another$100 after 90 days, and a final $100 after 180 days. Experienced,licensed drivers could receive $200 when they start, another $100 after 90days, and a final $100 after 180 days. In both cases, they could beeligible for another $200 bonus at the end of their first year.

1) Chris Andrews/TAS 2008 www.TransportationConsultants.com

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T. Training - aside from mandated training, drivers appreciate receivingadditional training that improves their skills, such as dealing with specialneeds students, irate parents, special equipment, etc.U. Uniforms - not only does this give your district a professional image, itimproves the morale of employees, especially if it is presented as abenefit. The expense can be shared with employees, and casualclothing/items can be offered at cost for personal use (golf shirts,umbrellas, caps, water bottles, etc.).V. Volunteer - support your employees by paying them for some of theirvolunteer time. For example, encourage their participation in communityevents - Junior Achievement, Red Cross, etc. - by paying them for alimited number of hours. One scenario might be that 10% of yourworkforce could be compensated for 50% of the time they contribute, up to20 hours/year per employee.W. Workplace - keep the workplace clean, safe and professional looking. Itdoesn't need to be like home, or they will start hanging around before andafter hours. But it should be a place that the employees take pride in andrespect. Make sure that they have all the tools and equipment necessaryto perform their jobs.X. eXposure - your vehicles are rolling billboards for your district and yourstaff. Make sure that they always leave the yard in clean and goodoperating condition.Y. Youthful - regardless of the age of the district, and the age of yourworkforce, try to portray a youthful image. Our society values the fun andenergy of the young, so capitalize on that by putting forth the image of adepartment that matches those values.Z. Zagat - restaurants everywhere aspire to make the "Zag at Best" list.Making your department an industry "best" will attract and keep the bestdrivers.

o Chris Alldrews/TAS 2008 www.TransportationConsultants.co!11

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APPENDIX ESAMPLE NON-PERFORMANCE DAMAGES

The District has included non-performance damages in the event thatfinancial remedies are needed to ensure a high-quality transportationservice. It is not the District's intention, nor desire, to utilize this optionunless it is deemed necessary. Prior to the implementation of any penalty,the District will attempt to meet with the Contractor to determine if thereare any mitigating circumstances that have caused the service issue thatmight lead to the issuance of a penalty.In view of the difficulty the District will suffer by reason of defaults on thepart of the Contractor, the following sums are hereby agreed upon andshall be deemed damages for breach of this Contract:A. If at any time the Contractor fails to provide the approved number ofvehicles or personnel (supervisors, drivers, aides, mechanics) asrequired by the Contract, the Board of Education shall deduct from it'smonthly payment $200.00 per day perlbus or per personlday for eachoccurrence said personnel is not supplied; plus there will be nopayment for the services that were not provided.B. If the Contractor does not supply the necessary spare vehicles tooperate the home-to-school program within the 20-minute reportingrequirement, the District shall deduct from the monthly payment thepro-rata cost of the vehicle(s) for that day, plus $50.00. In the eventthe spare vehicle does not arrive within one (1) hour, the penalty shallbe increased from $50.00 to $1,000.00.C. This Contract envisions a quality, responsive transportation programthat minimizes the District's involvement in the day-to-day operation ofthe program. Should operating problems occur which require theinvolvement of the District, the District reserves the right to officiallynotify the Contractor of such problems. Should similar operatingproblems reoccur within thirty (30) days, the District reserves the rightto deduct $100.00 from the monthly payment for each suchoccurrence.D. If at any time the Contractor uses a driver in the performance of thisContract who has not been approved by the District and/or does notmeet the requirements of the State of Illinois, the Contractor is liablefor deductions of $300.00 per day from the monthly billing for servicefor each driver so employed.

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E. A reliable transportation system is important to meet the educationalrequirements of the students and the District. To this end, studentsmust be picked up in the AM in a timely and consistent manner, andstudents must be delivered home in the PM in an efficient manner. If abus is more than 15 minutes late in the AM, or PM, the Districtreserves the right to deduct $100 from the monthly billing. Shouldsituations beyond the control of the Contractor cause the late pick-up(weather; traffic), the penalty will not be assessed.F. Extra-curricular transportation is an important element of the District'seducational program. Therefore, it is expected that the Contractor willmeet the District's needs given that the District duly informs theContractor of any trip at least 24 hours ahead of said trip. Failure bythe Contractor to provide the necessary driver(s) will result in nonpayment by the District for the trip, a $250 per missed trip penaltydeduction from any payments due to the Contractor under thisContract, and a reimbursement to the District for any financialdamages that the District may incur as a result of the missed trip (e.g.,referee fees, entrance fees, etc.).G. The District requires that all buses that are utilized in the performanceof this Contract(s) have operating and active two-way radios, orcomparable communication devices (cellular phones). The Districtshall be provided the frequency by the Contractor (or the phonenumber), and the District reserves the right to operate a Districtprovided scanner. Additionally, the District requires that all out-ofdistrict buses be equipped with effective communications equipment(radios or cell phones). A $50 per day per bus penalty may beassessed for any vehicle that does not comply with this requirement.Buses are also required to have working cameras and recorders. A$200 penalty shall be assessed whenever a request for a recordingcannot be provided.H. Failure to provide read-only access to the routing software shall resultin a $100/day penalty; failure to provide unlimited access to the GPSsystem information shall also result in a $100/day penalty.I. Bidder and/or drivers are prohibited from changing any routes withoutprior District approval. If such unauthorized changes are made, the

District reserves the right to withhold payment for any runs that aremodified in an unauthorized fashion. In the event substitute drivers areutilized, and the routes are not followed due to poor directions orunauthorized changes, payment for those runs may be withheld.

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J. Buses are required to carry proper identification signs, pursuant tothese specifications. This identification is essential for the school staffsand pupils to identify the buses. Buses displaying no identification atall or more than one identification, or the wrong identification,generates confusion, inefficiency, and is sometimes costly induplicating transportation. In order to enforce the requirements todisplay the prescribed identification, the School District reserves theright to levy a cost of $50 per day as liquidated damages for each busrun operating in violation of these requirements.K. The District requests that the Contractor supply a Monthly Report(sample in the Appendix) to the Administration by the 5th day of eachmonth. Failure to provide this report in a timely manner shall result in apenalty of $100.00 day for every day it is late.L. The School District shall have the right to terminate the Contract at theend of the current school year where the Bidder has failed to meet itsobligation under the Contract, as evidenced by non-performancedamages pursuant to these specifications, which equals or exceeds$5,000 in any Contract Year. It is understood and agreed by theBidder that the assessment of penalties set forth in these specificationsshall be in addition to the right of the District to terminate this Contractfor any of the reasons set forth herein, and that in the event oftermination, the above penalties will be applied for the full period ofnon-compliance within any applicable notice period. In the case oftermination under this Contract, the School District shall also have theremedies to which it is entitled pursuant to these Contract documents.The rights of the School District under this paragraph shall not impedeor limit the rights of the School District pursuant to any applicablesections of the Contract documents and shall be in addition thereto.

As stated, it is not the District's desire to utilize the penalty provisionsunless it is deemed necessary. To this end, the District shallaccumulate any penalties and delay any assessment to the Contractorunless and until the accumulated penalties reach or exceed $1,500 inany school year. Should the assessment level be reached, the Districtreserves the right to assess all accumulated penalties. During the termof any accumulation, the District will provide the Contractor notice ofpenalties assessed and provide the Contractor an opportunity torespond to the District's determination.These provisions for liquidated damages shall not be regarded as awaiver by District of any other rights to which it may be entitled in theevent of Contractor's default, but rather, such remedy shall be inaddition to any other remedy lawfully available to District.

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It is expressly understood by the Bidder that the Board of Education,by not exercising its rights, or by waiving any of the provisions of thisContract, or by exercising the provisions of this Contract in a particularway, the Board shall not be deemed to have waived any of its rights orthe Contract requirements.

Documents

TAS Report