Transportation Advisory Services
(TAS) Report Highlights &
Recommendations
Profile Data
• 2,499 student enrollment K-12
• 180 students transported to 17 non-public
schools
• 7 students transported to 2 out-of-District
Special Education facilities
• Fleet maintained, serviced, and fueled at an
on-site facility
• Secured parking provided
Methodology
• TAS requested and received background
information from the District
• TAS representative visited the district on
November 11 th & 12th to conduct meetings.
• TAS Representative surveyed building
principals for their perspectives of the
operation.
Purpose of the Study
• To provide the District with a
third-party perspective on the
operating efficiency and
management options of the
current program.
Profile Data
• TAS representative reported:
• The NWISD was willing to be open and
cooperative in the review of District
transportation services.
• Everyone involved was extremely
cooperative and provided everything
requested.
Methodology
• TAS representative met with:
• Business Administrator
• Assistant Business Administrator
• Superintendent
• Transportation Supervisor
• Head Mechanic
• Drivers
• Athletic Director
• Director of Special Education
• Board Members
 Methodology
• The following information was part of the
analysis:
• Driver schedules and route descriptions
• Une item financial reports and various budget docs
• Board Transportation Policies
• Personnel Data
• FleetData
• Principal Surveys
• Job Descriptions
• Miscellaneous District-prepared analyses and reports
Fleet
• Spare buses used as replacements during
maintenance downtimes or for program
demands.
• 10%-20% of route vehicles on hand as
spares: NWL should have 8. NWL has 9
spares.
• District's IS-year cycle indicates up to 10
vehicles may need replacement over next 2-3
years.
Facility
• Bus/mechanic ratio is 26:1. Very productive:
• Maintain 8 other District vehicles,
• Maintain various B&G equipment.
• Further growth in fleet would require
additional personnel.
• Mechanics currently do not have the time to
keep fleet clean.
11
Recommendations
• Recommendations on the following
slides were included in the TAS report.
• This presentation is not all inclusive of
discussion presented in each of the
report sections.
Fleet: Recommendations
• Recommend that District auction off
un-needed vehicles, if the district
should fully or partially contract
services.
• Recommend that the District should
attempt to stabilize purchases at 3
buses{year and 1-2 smaller vehicles
every year if the transportation
servIces remain totally Within the
district.
to
Facility: Recommendation
• Recommend fleet washing be
addressed by hiring a driver or aide to
wash the buses during runs. If 5
buses were washed daily, entire fleet
could be done weekly.
• Recommend this can be paid at lower
rate: often same as Meeting Rate.
11

Supervision
• Based upon interviews and surveys, overall
impression of the Transportation
Department is very positive.
• The routing software offers advanced
capabilities, possibly not currently used to
maximum potential.
• Noted it is sometimes difficult to recruit and
retain substitute Drivers.
" .
Supervision:
Recommendations
• Recommend the Dishict continue to
employ someone to maintain the routes,
manage contracted runs, and interface
with parents, if the District should
outsource.
• Recommend the Transportation .
Supervisor complete a Monthly Report
to provide Board and Administration of
departmentactivitie~
15
Vehicle Maintenance:
Recommendations
• Recommend one of the drivers be
offered the task of entering work
orders and maintaining inventory
system between runs: roughly 4
hoursfweek.
17
Supervision:
Recommendations
• Recommend the District invest in a
day of software training for
supervisor.
• Recommend that the District use the
U ABC's of Driver Recruitment."
Vehicle Maintenance
• Overall impression of vehicle
maintenance program is very good.
• Supportive Staff.
• Staffing was lean until recent hiring.
• Head mechanic responsible for
entering all work orders into system
and keeping up with inventory.
Drivers
SPECIAL NOTE ON TAS PERSPECI1VE WITH
REGARD TO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS
• Essential that the District employ highly
qualified personnel to sufficient numbers to
meet the on-going needs of the District.
• At the same time, it is important that any
agreements or procedures provide the District
with the flexibility needed to adjust programs to
change service levels with accompanying
change in personnel costs.
"
 Drivers
• Drivers mentioned that feedback from
principals can be slow at times.
• TAS understands importance of continuing
to offer attractive wage and benefit packages
AND the difficulty to all parties in making
changes to historical practices.
• Salary & benefits need to be consistent with
the goal of affordability and quality
transportation services.
"
Drivers
• Transportation costs related to athletic
events are in the transportation
budget.
• For greater accountability, consider
making the costs part of the Athletic
Department Budget.
• Require coaches to obtain a CDL so
they can drive sports runs.
n
Routing
• District is double tripped. Consider
modifying bell time structUre to reduce
the need for buses.
• Possibility that more time between
bells, 4-6 fewer buses would be
needed.
" "
Drivers
• Paid time off:
• Personal Days: 2
• Sick Days: Full Time 8, Part Time 2
• Health Insurance: for full time drivers:
• 1 driver> 7 hours/ day
• 8 drivers between 6-7 hours/ day
• 6 drivers between 5-6 hours/ day
• 3 drivers between 4-5 hours/ day
,.
Drivers: Recommendations
• Recommend offering an annual $250
stipend for perfect attendance.
• Recommend the District move
towards a more equitable allocation
of benefits.
While the provisions of unpaid days and health
benefits enables the District to attract and retain
employees, it also significantly increases the
cost of providing transportation services.
"
Routing: Recommendation
• Recommend the District utilize the
routing software to develop new
routes reflecting the possible changes
in bell times in order to consider the
fleet impact.
 Policies
• Out of district runs cannot always be double
tripped due to locations.
• Commendation to the District for having the
non-public students ride in-district buses to
an assigned bldg then transporting them
from that point to a transfer point and onto
their destination.
• District previously utilized the 10callU to
transport students to out-of -district
location.
"
Management Option A
• Continue to Operate as Is, With No
Changes
• District would make no changes to the
way it currently operates the
transportation program.
27
Management Option B
- Continue Operating In-House, With
Modifications
- District would make one or more
modifications discussed within the
report in an attempt to reduce
operating costs.
" ..
Policies: Recommendation
- Recommend the District contact the
IU for a review of Special Education
placements and non-public locations
to see if they can provide these
services less expensively.
,.
Management Option A
-Pros
• Parents would not tie upset about new bell
times and it would not limit personnel
consequences that may result from
changes to the program
-Cons
• District will be unable to realize efficiencies
p'rojected from some of the proposed
changes & would continue to face
budgetary concerns.
21
Management Option B
- Pros
• Continue to provide transportation
services to the majority of students.
• Services could be provided at lower cost,
with savings dependent upon the
modifications implemented.
 Management Option B
- Cons
• District could expect a negative response
from some parents due to schedule
changes.
• Some,!ransportation employees could lose
hours or positions although some of the
reduction could come through attrition.
31
Management Option C-l
- Pros
• District out of the transportation business
• Administrative time for transportation,
payroll, accounts payable, benefits
administration, budgeting, purchasing,
etc. would be eliminated.
• Cash infusion due to sale of fleet
Management Option C-l
-Cons
• District could expect emotional period of
upheaval among staff and community
• Contract of at least 3-5 years would be
necessary.
• Day-to-day operation of program woUld
be out of District control, resulting in loss
of flexibility.
" ..
Management Option C-l
- C-l Full Contracting
• The District would sell the fleet and
terminate employment with affected staff
members. Contractor would be
responsible for providing a facility or
could use the District facility.
"
Management Options C-l
- Pros, continued
• Competitive transportation environment
could result in savings.
• Personnel related issues such as
recruitment & training would become
responsibility of the contractor.
• Annual cost increases would be controlled
by negotiated price caps.
..
Management Option C-l
- Cons, continued
• Service levels are often reported to be not
as high as those provided in-house.
• Costs of sports & field trips typically
increase faster than cost of home to school
transportation.
• Difficulty getting back into transportation
 Management Option C-2
• Management Contracting
• District would continue to own fleet and
garage but would contract out all
personnel. District would continue to
purchase the vehicles or phase them out
as replacement times occur.
Management Options C-2
• Cons
• Still in the transportation business
• Still invest in fleet replacements.
• Difficult converting personnel to private
sector
• Some contractors may not bid due to
easier ability of district to take back the
program.
Management Option C-3
• Pros
• District would only need to maintain the
fleet and staff necessary to transport
students within District boundaries.
• Costs could be reduced if conh-actors
transport multiple non-public schools for
several public schools within the area.
• Growth in these programs would only
require a call to the contractor.
Management Option C-2
• Pros
• Contract out most expensive aspect of
transportation: the personnel.
• Continue to control the assets.
• Attractive to some contractors because
sizable investment is not involved.
• Easier to take back full program in the
future.
"
Management Option C-3
• Partial Contracting
• District would provide transportation for
part of the program, in-district
transportation only.
• District would contract transportation for
special education and non-public students
..
Management Option C-3
• Pros, continued
• Fewer bus/ car parking spots would be
required in District.
• Fewer buses would result in less traffic
congestion.
• Maintenance staffing could be reduced.
"
 Management Option C-3
- Pros, continued
• Contract costs more easily controlled due
to District's ability to retake some runs if
service andj or costs are unsatisfactory.
• Sports & field trip costs could be
contained due to having a District fleet.
"
Management Option C-3
- Cons, continued
• Cost for such services must be monitored
and quality o~ services provided must be
watched closely.
• Some current District personnel would
lose their jobs.
..
Management Option C-3
-Cons
• Routing & responsibility for runs would
remain with the District.
• Due to sdme of the proposed contract runs
being currently integrated with public
school runs, overall initial savings may be
reduced.
TASOption
Recommendation
- TAS recommends the District consider
the implementation of Option C-3 and
making as many of the other
operational changes suggested in the
report
..
 Northwestern Lehigh School District
6493 Rte. 309, New Tripoli PA 18066
BOARD TRANSPORTATION MEETING
Weisenberg Elementary School
Monday, January 24, 2011, 7:00 p.m.

A. Agenda
1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call
Roll Call Camille Bartlett Todd Hernandez Darryl Schafer
PrjAb Willard Dellicker Donald Link Sally Schoffstall
Christopher Ford Michael Marich Gregory Snyder

3. Approval of Agenda

Moved: Seconded: Vote: Aye, Nay

B. Discussion of Items for Board Action

1. Presentation and discussion of Transportation Advisory Services (TAS) Report

C. Other

1. Old Business

2. New Business

3. Courtesy of the floor for public comment

G. Adjournment