By David Kilby, The Packet Group
UPPER FREEHOLD — The decision to outsource and share bus services with Millstone continues to raise concerns for parents of children in the Upper Freehold Regional School District.
By privatizing busing and laying off 19 bus drivers, the district expects to save $468,000, but some members of the public say the safety provided by the district’s current fleet of buses is worth the money the district pays.
Millstone resident Ramon Recalde has been adamant about the whole issue, saying that the equipment of private bus companies may not be as trustworthy as the district’s fleet.
”I keep hearing the word ‘safety’ about everything,” he said at the board’s reorganization meeting May 11. “If we don’t get our kids to school safely there’s no kids to educate.”
He said outsourcing busing is like selling your car and taking a taxi cab to work every day.
”Those taxi drivers are there to make a profit,” he said.
He also suggested just not selling off the buses instead of selling the buses while also replacing the bus drivers.
”Where are all of the buses going to come from if you have an emergency evacuation?” he said.
School officials said the board will be putting off buses over a six-month period, and that once a private company is chosen, the district can still repurchase its own buses and rehire district bus drivers as the funds become available.
The district also will keep about six of its own buses for emergency purposes and will keep substitute bus drivers.
”With the pricing we got on the first bid, we do believe we got the savings we anticipated,” said Diana Schiraldi, school business administrator, but added that she believes the district can save more if it goes out to bid again.
The companies the district is looking at set one-year contracts with daily rates. At the end of each year the district can decide to renew the contract or go out for a new bid, she added.
Millstone School District will be the main client in the busing contract, she said. An update on the bid process is expected to be given at the Millstone Board of Education’s May 23 meeting.
Those parents who live within a two-and-a-half-mile radius of their children’s school will have to subscribe for busing, and will receive subscription busing letters offering that option.
Superintendent of Schools Richard Fitzpatrick said he is confident that the district is still putting student safety first while choosing to privatize busing.
”We can’t assume that since it is an outside vendor, safety is being compromised,” he said.
Mr. Recalde said he is concerned about the safety standards of the equipment, not the personnel, of the outsourced company, whichever one it will be.
”You guys have a big decision ahead,” he said. “The safety of my child is not negotiable.”

