Hot Topics: 10 Current Issues In Pupil Transportation in North Carolina

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Hot Topics10 Current Issues In Pupil
Transportation in North Carolina

• Derek Graham, Section Chief
• Transportation Services
• NC DPI

Handout www.ncbussafety.org
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Local PRC 56

• ELIGIBLE EXPENSES
• To/From School Transportation
• Yellow buses
• Grades K-12
• INELIGIBLE EXPENSES
• Maintenance of Activity Buses
• Maintenance of all local vehicles
• Parts and Labor
• Mileage for field trips

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Local PRC 56

• Eligible local expenditures reported on TD-1
• Local expenditures reported to DPI for all PRCs
  monthly
• DEFINE Local PRC 56 for ELIGIBLE local
  transportation expenses
• DEFINE PRC 706 for all OTHER transportation
  expenses
• Field trips
• Activity Buses
• Local Vehicles
• Eventually can replace the finance part of TD-1
  Annual Report

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Chartering Motorcoaches

• Legislation required State Board of Education to
  report on appropriateness of policies for school
  activity trips
• All LEAs surveyed report submitted to
  legislature in March, 2004

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2003 State Budget Bill

• SECTION 7.25.(c) The State Board of Education
  shall study the adequacy of the safety rules and
  policies adopted by local boards of education
  regarding the use of activity buses. The State
  Board shall report the results of this study to
  the Joint Legislative Education Oversight
  Committee by March 15, 2004.

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Revised Recommended Guidelines for Chartering
Motorcoaches for School Activity Trips

• To be released any time now.
• Revised pre-trip checklist
• State Highway Patrol video in the works
• Acknowledgement of Safety Record of Motorcoach
  Industry
• Best practices Consortia
• Many LEAs contracting with a consultant to do
  site visits

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Purchasing - Senate Bill 620

• It shall be the duty of local boards of education
  to purchase or exchange all supplies, equipment
  and materials in accordance with contracts made
  by or with the approval of the Department of
  Administration.equipment, and materials, and
  these purchases shall be made in accordance with
  Article 8 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes.
  These purchases may be made from contracts made
  by the Department of Administration.

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State Board Policy EEO-H-008 Purchase of School
Bus Equipment

• LEAs, for safety reasons, shall purchase all
  school buses, school bus replacement tires, brake
  pads, brake shoes and brake hardware only from
  the statewide term contract. The Department will
  confer with the Division of Purchase and Contract
  on a yearly basis to determine whether
  technological changes necessitate an amendment to
  this policy.
• Required to be Purchased from State Contract
• School Buses
• School Bus Tires
• School Bus Braking Equipment
• Not required to be Purchased from State Contract
• Everything else Including Activity Buses

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School Bus Replacements The financed purchase
of school buses

• 460 IC Buses financed through CCMI
• 39 IC buses direct-purchased (LEAs getting only 1
  or 2 replacements
• 750 Thomas/Freightliner Buses financed through
  Daimler-Chrysler Services at a negative interest
  rate
• 31 IC buses direct-purchased

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Status of Finance Payments

• International Buses
• 1st payment issued by DPI on your behalf upon
  delivery October February
• 2nd payment to be paid in September/October
• Thomas Built Buses
• 1st payment issued by DPI on your behalf upon
  delivery February July
• 2nd payment being paid August 1
• LEA notification with allotments

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2005 Replacement Buses

• 2004 School Bus Contract
• Most buses awarded to Thomas Built Buses
• 66 and 72 passenger Wheelchair Lift Buses awarded
  to IC (International)
• All activity buses awarded to Thomas
• Separate bid for financing on the street to
  finance about 600 school buses
• LEAs can use financing contract for Activity
  Buses work out details with the vendor.

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Environmental Issues

• Impact of school buses on the overall condition
  of the environment Small percentage of the
  problem
• Effect of Diesel Exhaust on Children Since
  children are in and around school buses
• Lots of attention on this issue we have a
  responsibility to work toward cleaner air for the
  kids and to set a good example as government
  entities

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Environmental Issues

• National Initiative Clean School Bus USA
• State Initiatives
• Air Quality Grants Priority for School Buses
• Bio-Diesel use in Durham, Chatham Counties
• League of Women Voters / Child Advocacy Task
  Force position paper
• Common theme need for Anti-Idling Policy

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Anti-Idling Policies

• No idling longer than what is needed to build up
  air pressure
• Buses should not be parked nose to tail when it
  can be avoided
• Buses should not be parked on school grounds near
  building air intakes
• Bus Driver Commitment Cards
• Recommendations issued by DPI
• Followed by State Board Policy?

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Dashboard StickersSent to all Transp. Directors
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Recommended Policies

• TIPS FOR DRIVERS
• Do not idle your school bus for longer than five
  (5) minutes to build up air pressure. Additional
  idling does not help the school bus get warmer.
• Do not idle your bus while loading or unloading
  on school grounds.
• Driver must be within 3 feet of the bus while it
  is running. No exceptions!

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Salary Increase for School Bus Drivers

• 1,000 for non-certified full-time and part-time
  employees
• Most bus drivers are in one of these categories
• Full time driver (40 hours per week) - 1000
• Part time driver (20-39.9999 hours per week)
  Salary increase pro rata based on hours worked
• Split funded position, full-time combined
  cafeteria-bus driver, TA-bus driver, etc - 1000
  from combined sources
• About 20 of bus drivers are employed only as
  school bus drivers and work less than 20 hours
  per week.
• Legislation does not require a prorated salary
  increase
• The block grant for transportation (PRC 56) will
  be increased for LEAs that provide the increase
  to these drivers
• 63 cents per hour

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Sample Calculations
Two Examples Hourly Increase for Part-Time Employees based on 200 days per year (180 school days plus vacation, sick, in-service, etc) Two Examples Hourly Increase for Part-Time Employees based on 200 days per year (180 school days plus vacation, sick, in-service, etc) Two Examples Hourly Increase for Part-Time Employees based on 200 days per year (180 school days plus vacation, sick, in-service, etc) Two Examples Hourly Increase for Part-Time Employees based on 200 days per year (180 school days plus vacation, sick, in-service, etc)
Hours Worked Per Week (Per Day) Hours Worked Per Week (Per Day) Hours Worked Per Week (Per Day) Annual Raise (R) Hours Worked Per Year (H). Hourly Increase (R / H) Hourly Increase (R / H)
35 ( 7 hrs/day) 35 ( 7 hrs/day) 35 ( 7 hrs/day) (35/40) x 1000 875 7 hrs x 200 days 1400 hrs. (875 / 1400 ) 0.63 (875 / 1400 ) 0.63
22.5 (4.5 hrs/day) 22.5 (4.5 hrs/day) 22.5 (4.5 hrs/day) (22.5/40) x 1000 562.50 4.5 hrs x 200 days 900 hrs. (562.50 /900) 0.63 (562.50 /900) 0.63
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NTSB Recommendations Emergency Evacuations

• Require pre-trip briefings before school- related
  activity trips on school buses or
  school-chartered buses and subsequently assist
  the States in developing criteria for such
  briefings, to include training all students
  regarding the location and use of emergency exits.

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Public Transit Agencies

• Receive federal money
• Allowed to provide school tripper service
• Use of 15 passenger vans
• Need to look for alternatives to contracting with
  local transit organizations

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Study of Funding Formula

• Current funding formula implemented in 1990-1991
• Lots of changes in the past 13 years
• Funding based on previous year expenditures
• Local funding impacts ratings and funding

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Study of Funding Formula

• Lots of changes in past 13 years
• No Child Left Behind
• Pre-School and Head Start
• After school and other remediation
• Need to add programs without source for
  additional state funding

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Study of Funding Formula

• RFP Authorized by State Board
• Expected funding authority did not materialize
• Next Steps ???

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New Federal Requirements

• School Bus Drivers must have a CDL with a
  Passenger (P) Endorsement and a NEW School Bus
  (S) Endorsement.
• Recognized in all states
• Effective October 1, 2005

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Fiscal Impact of New Endorsements

• FEES G.S. 20-37.16 (d)
• The fee for a Class A, B, or C commercial
  drivers license is ten dollars (10.00) for each
  year of the period for which the license is
  issued. The fee for each endorsement is one
  dollar and twenty-five cents (1.25) for each
  year of the period for which the endorsement is
  issued. The fees required under this section do
  not apply to employees of the Driver License
  Section of the Division who are designated by the
  Commissioner.
• 10 x 5 years 50 license
• 1.25 x 2 endorsements (SP) x 5 years 12.50
• Application fee 20
• TOTAL FOR NEW DRIVER 82.50

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Responsibility for Payment

• Exemption for school bus drivers was deleted in
  this bill
• There was no fiscal note attached to this bill
  no funds appropriated
• State funds may not be used to pay school bus
  drivers license fees

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Hot Topics10 Current Issues In Pupil
Transportation in North Carolina

• Derek Graham, Section Chief
• Transportation Services
• NC DPI

Handout www.ncbussafety.org