Preston delays acting on bus outsourcing proposal

Preston - The Board of Education tabled a vote Monday to authorize Superintendent of Schools John Welch to issue a request for proposals for outsourcing next year's school bus transportation services.

The controversial measure would replace the current contracts in which the town runs its own bus services.

The board decided to move the issue to members of the transportation sub-committee who will review additional data and report back to the board at its next meeting in August.

After a heated public comment period, including statements from bus drivers and union representatives, the board adjourned to an hour-long executive session to discuss the issue.

"There isn't a need for the board to take any explicit action tonight," Welch said. "There's been some redevelopments that I think are worth additional review."

Before tabling the issue, board member John Moulson asked why the board did not decide to drop the issue of outsourcing all together.

Matt O'Connor, representative for the Preston Bus Drivers Chapter of the CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 said it would be in everyone's interests if the board allowed a public hearing.

"It would be better if the issue disappeared and they voted no," O'Connor said. "But if that isn't the case, the drivers and the residents deserve to be heard at a hearing."

On July 3, local bus drivers initiated a petition drive hoping to gather enough signatures in time for Monday's meeting to force a public hearing on the issue. In less than 20 days, almost 300 Preston residents signed the petition, hundreds more than the required 50 signatures.

Bus driver Becky Boenig, a member of the union's negotiating committee, presented the board with the petition.

"We take pride in the safe reliable service we provide to he children of Preston and their families," Boenig said. "Our school bus drivers are not numbers on a ballot sheet. We are residents, taxpayers and parents too. It seems you have been so focused on moving outsourcing forward that you are not listening."

In May, the board disseminated a feasibility study to four bus companies; First Student, M&J, DATTCO and STA. Three of the four companies responded to the study.

The responses did not include all information associated with a request for proposals, but did include information as to how much it would cost for 184 days of regular bus transportation.

STA responded with the highest regular bus transportation amount of $779,240. First Student responded with a total transportation cost of $753,480 and DATTCO with $743,282.

The board budgeted around $689,000 for bus transportation services for 2010-11 and currently has a surplus of $170,000.

j.hanckel@theday.com