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Transportation recommendations 3 14-13
The document provides recommendations for reducing transportation costs in the Vista Unified School District. It notes a projected budget deficit and need to reduce optional transportation services. Community meetings were held where attendees provided input on transportation issues and potential solutions for 8 schools. A three-year plan is proposed to reduce special education transportation costs by aligning with the state average, analyzing current caseloads, and moving to a neighborhood model. An initial estimated savings of $350,000 is provided for 2013-14.
Transportation recommendations 3 14-13
- 1. Transportation Recommendations DevinVodicka, EdD March 14, 2013
- 2. Background and Context •Informational presentations to School Board on January 17and February 21 • Projected deficit spending of $14 million (2013-14) and $19 million (2014-15) • Three Categories: – Special Education (Mandated) – No Child Left Behind/McKinney Vento (Mandated) – Home To School (Optional)
- 3. Current Reality • HomeTo School (HTS) Services have been reduced over time due to budget cuts • 8.9% of students use HTS and Mandated No Child Left Behind (NCLB) transportation services • 3.6% of students use Special Education transportation services • Fleet is aging and in need of improvements 3
- 4. Composition of BusFleet 18% "New" 43% "Seasoned" "Retirement" 39% New: Purchased since 2006 Seasoned: Purchased 1993-2005 Retirement: Purchased prior to 1992 and/or those not compliant with air pollution laws 4
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- 6. Doing It Right:Necessary Investments Item Cost New Busses $4,000,000 Replace California Natural Gas $180,000 (CNG) Fuel Tanks (2016) CNG Fuel Station Replacement $500,000 Radio System Upgrades $54,000 TOTAL $4,740,000 • None of these expenses are currently included in budget assumptions • Adding these expenses to budget will require cuts in other areas 6
- 7. Annual Revenue andExpenses Transportation Program Revenue Expenses Impact on (Rounded) (Rounded) Unrestricted General Fund Special Education $700,000 $3,600,000 -$2,900,000 Home To School $700,000 $1,700,000 -$1,000,000 (flexible) • Given projected deficit spending, these are not sustainable expenses • CA Base Revenue Deficit Factor is 22.272% • Governor’s Proposal restores an estimated 1.65% • Impact of almost $4 million to unrestricted general fund = Approximately 2% of total budget 7
- 8. Routes Mandated Optional 47 Special Education Routes 15 Home To School Routes: 13 McKinney Vento/NCLB Routes • Alamosa Park • Breeze Hill 1 NCLB Route for Breeze Hill Elementary • Mission Meadows 2 NCLB Routes for Madison Middle and • Monte Vista Roosevelt Middle • Empresa 1 Mission Vista Shuttle (Settlement • Hannalei Agreement with City of Oceanside) • Rancho Minerva Middle (shuttle) • Madison Middle (shuttle) • Mission Vista (shuttle with stops at RBV, Washington, Vista High, Mission Meadows) 8
- 9. Comparison School Districts •San Marcos Unified eliminated Home To School transportation in 2008 • Oceanside Unified eliminated the majority of Home To School transportation in 2010 • Carlsbad Unified eliminate Home To School transportation prior to 1999
- 10. February 21: ProposedNext Steps • Define target savings • Refine proposed level of services to reach savings target – “Neighborhood School” Special Education Analysis – Home To School Sites • Community Meetings in English and Spanish • Walk Affected Routes • Propose Solutions to Anticipated Issues • Recommend Action Item for Board on March 14 10
- 11. Impact of NextSteps • Special Education Analysis and cost savings estimate now available • Site Meetings surfaced many issues and potential solutions • “Walking” affected routes increased leadership knowledge and empathy • Additional Steps: – Meeting(s) with transportation to gather input
- 12. Special Education: QuickFacts • 10% = The average rate of Sp. Ed. student population transported in districts across the state of California. • 21% = The average rate of Sp. Ed. student population transported in VUSD. • 872 = The total number of Sp. Ed. students who have transportation written into their Individualized Education Programs (IEP) in VUSD. • 700 = The total number of students who currently use transportation services in VUSD. • $3,600,000 = Total cost of transportation for Sp. Ed. students.
- 13. Special Education: NextSteps • Incorporate the use of a transportation decision tree into the IEP process. • Develop and utilize a Transportation Checklist during IEP meetings. Sp. Ed. Transportation Decision Tree • Base IEP decisions related to transportation on Least Restrictive Environment for each student (Ed. Code 41850). • Revisit the determination of transportation needs at each annual IEP meeting. • Recognize that not all students require specialized transportation to receive educational benefit. • Provide staff training in the process for identifying transportation as an appropriate related service based on student need.
- 14. Special Education: Reductions •Set a three year goal to align Sp. Ed. transportation caseload to the state average. – Reduce transportation demand from 21% to 10% of total Sp. Ed. student population. • Analyze current transportation caseload (700) to identify areas where transportation can be consolidated, reduced, or eliminated through the IEP process. • Begin the process of moving student case load to a neighborhood service delivery model. • Identify students who could return to district programs currently being serviced outside of the district. • Realistic Savings Estimate for 2013-14: $350,000
- 15. Community Outreach: SiteMeetings • Conducted in English and Spanish at the following sites – Alamosa Park – Breeze Hill – Mission Meadows – Monte Vista – Empresa – Hannalei – Rancho Minerva Middle – Madison Middle – Mission Vista
- 16. Input: Highlights School Issues Potential Solutions Alamosa Park Elementary Crossing Hwy. 76/Safety Charge Fee Carpool Morning Only Bussing Breeze Hill Elementary Intradistrict transfer timeline Charge Fee Distance from Breeze Hill Expand AM/PM No car in family Carpool Change boundaries Morning Only Bussing Mission Meadows Elementary Extreme distance for some families Charge Fee Eliminating bus routes would decrease diversity of school Change boundaries Carpool Morning Only Bussing Monte Vista Elementary Lack of sidewalks/Safety Charge Fee No car in family Change boundaries Difficulty for families with students in K and 1st-5th Expand AM/PM Empresa Elementary Lack of sidewalks Charge Fee Impacted AM/PM program has wait list Afternoon Only Bussing Expand AM/PM Carpool Do not change boundaries Hannalei Elementary Crossing railroad tracks Charge Fee Lack of sidewalks Carpool Dangerous neighborhoods Crossing Guards Rancho Minerva Middle Windy Roads/Lack of Sidewalks/Safety Charge Fee Long distances to cover Carpool No car in family Change boundaries Madison Middle Start Times (especially RBV) Charge Fee/Fundraising Increased traffic Carpool Limited public transportation options Expand AM/PM Mission Vista High School Crossing Hwy. 76/Safety Charge Fee Eliminating bus routes would decrease diversity of school Outsourcing Reduced enrollment (55% of survey respondents indicated they Expand public transportation options would send child to another VUSD school) Negative effect on family work schedules
- 17. VUSD Bus Fees2012-2013 • Revenue budgeted: $126,450 • Revenue collected to date: $25,238.12
- 18. Walking Routes: MissionMeadows
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- 23. Carpools and the“Walking School Bus”
- 24. Home To SchoolLevel of Service • Currently 15 routes • Recommend eliminating 11 routes • Recommend maintaining Breeze Hill and Mission Meadows • Continue analysis and maintain option of maintaining two additional routes • Realistic Savings Estimate for 2013-14: $770,000
- 25. Admin Reorganization • Recommendtransition to more efficient software to increase efficiencies – Trans Track • Eliminate 1.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Office Assistant and 1.0 FTE Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor • Realistic Savings Estimate for 2013-14: $100,000
- 26. Financial Summary • SpecialEducation Savings: $350,000 • Elimination of 11 Home To School Routes: $770,000 • Admin Reorganization: $100,000 • Total: $1,220,000 • Recommendation is to use $1,000,000 to reduce deficit spending and allocate remainder to ongoing vehicle replacement allocation
- 27. Next Steps • Immediatelyimplement Special Education recommendations • Implement Admin Reorganization July 1, 2013 • Promote safe walking routes • Promote carpooling • Anticipate Boundary Study 2013-14
- 29. Additional Guidance forFamilies • Intradistrict transfer requests are due March 31, 2013 • If in doubt, please submit the intradistrict transfer request – Easy to “withdraw” the request if needed – Applications will not be accepted after the deadline
- 30. Summary • Recommend approvalregarding proposed transportation savings of $1,220,000 in 2013-14 – Special Education improvements – Admin Reorganization – Reduction of 11 Home To School Routes • Recommend allocating $1,000,000 of savings to reducing projected fiscal deficits with remainder to be allocated for vehicle replacements