Superintendent: Move could net district $2.6 million
By: Dick Brinster
HIGHTSTOWN The potential privatization of student transportation in the East Windsor Regional School District, a move Superintendent Ron Bolandi estimates would save more than $624,000 annually and net an additional $2 million through the sale of its buses, is seen by some as a balancing act between financing and safety.
"I’m not trying to skew the board either way, but I want to be fair," Mr. Bolandi said Monday night during a presentation to the Board of Education of an issue that could be seriously considered should the district’s financial woes continue. "You can buy some (education) programs, but lose control of the operation."
Parents and district transportation employees at the meeting expressed considerable doubt about the wisdom of discontinuing in-house service.
"Safety seems to be put on the back burner lately," said Jane Cormack, of East Windsor. "Money seems to overpower the safety of the students."
The board, as part of a series of informational presentations of issues in the district, threw the floor open to discussion of the possibility of privatization.
East Windsor plans to spend about $4.2 million on operating its own fleet in 2007-2008, and Mr. Bolandi estimates that privatization would cost about $3.6 million.
He said privatization also would enable the district to benefit from competitive bidding.
"You have the ability to deal with more than one company on route issues," he said. "Another obvious advantage is that you eliminate all collective bargaining issues."
The sale of the fleet would give the district an immediate infusion of funds, but Mr. Bolandi cautioned that a subsequent decision to restore in-house service would be costly.
"It’s a one-shot deal," he said "If you ever decide four years later that you want to come back to it, that $2 million for buses would cost you at least $4 million."
But the overriding concern of many was weighing service and safety against an annual saving that would help pay for the educational needs in a district where voters defeated the school budget in each of the last two years.
"It’s a very tough decision," said board member Bruce Ettman, part of the ad hoc committee that studied the issue of privatization and one of those who has expressed concerns about the safety of children walking to and from school.
State law requires the district to transport elementary school students living more than 1½ miles from school and high school students who live more than two miles away.
The advantages of an in-house operation were promoted by George Veigel, a district employee who monitors drivers of the district vans that transport special education students.
"You’re not going to get that care and compassion from some stranger," he said of contracting with outside carriers. "We’re part of the team, we know a lot of the teachers, a lot of the staff members and we communicate with problems and work things out."
One experience with a private carrier that began service in September hasn’t worked out so well.
The district currently transports under contract to First Student of Trenton children who attend four parochial schools in Mercer County. Parents have expressed considerable discontent over the service, and one has filed suit against the district, the state Department of Education and the state attorney general seeking to have declared unconstitutional a 1968 law that set rules for districts transporting local students to nonpublic schools.
District driver Ken Walton said East Windsor has a line of communication with its own drivers, something it has problems with when difficulties have arisen with contract carriers.
"We have a loss of control at the local level," Mr. Walton said. "Johnny is supposed to get on a certain bus, but he gets on the wrong bus and now we’re trying to find Johnny."
Dave Winrow, of Stockton Street in Hightstown, has experienced that in the past, with a private carrier dropping off his "nonverbal" son on Stockton Street in Hamilton.
"Convicts are treated better going to prison," Mr. Winrow said.
Monday’s public discussion was part of a series of informational presentations of issues in the district. There is no plan to privatize at this time.

