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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Moriarty Schools Left Without Buses

By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
      The Moriarty-Edgewood School District's main bus contractor has closed its doors, leaving school officials scrambling to come up with a replacement.
    The district had about 3,500 students at the end of the school year, and many of them took the bus. Plant School Transportation, which had worked with the district for 20 years, operated 37 of the district's 53 bus routes.
    The company never officially notified the district of its closure, but sent letters to its drivers informing them it was shutting down, in large part because of high fuel costs.
    Ernie Sandoval, the district's transportation supervisor, said during Tuesday night's board meeting that David Plant, the owner of Plant School Transportation, may be in breach of contract for not supplying adequate notification before he shut down operations. Sandoval also said Plant may owe the district or the Public Education Department for the buses, which were paid for by the PED. He said the district's legal counsel has been consulted, should litigation be necessary.
    District Superintendent Karen Couch said earlier in the day that the district learned about the closure Friday.
    “Whatever happens, we have to have bus drivers — our No. 1 concern is the safe transport of our students,” Couch said. “At this late date, to gather this information or at least to be informed of this is a disappointment.”
    Steve Tennyson — with children attending Route 66 Elementary School, Edgewood Middle School and Moriarty High School — is among the parents who will be affected. He counts on the school district's bus system to get all three children to their respective schools.
    “We depend on the bus system 100 percent,” Tennyson said.
    Tennyson said he would have to drive his kids 112 miles a day if he were to do it, and he wasn't sure they could make the start of all the schools.
    “I guess if there wasn't a bus we would let our oldest drive to school,” he said.
    That may not be necessary if the school can find drivers.
    “We haven't had a whole lot of time to do anything at this point,” Sandoval said.
    Couch said there are three options: find another contractor, have the district take over busing the students, or have an existing contractor take on an additional 37 buses.
    Currently, 10 routes are covered by Calvin Davis' company, Davis Bus Transportation, and by his father Frank Davis. The school district itself runs six bus routes plus eight activity buses.
    Officials with Plant did not return phone calls seeking comment.
    Plant School Transportation did send a letter to its bus drivers.
    In it the contractor stated that it is closing in part because the state contract paid only $2.65 per gallon for fuel this past year, but the state will pay $2.66 per gallon for the upcoming year.
    At a recent fill-up, Sandoval said the price of diesel was $4.24, which is a lower price than consumers pay because schools don't have to pay some taxes. Sandoval said the cost of fuel has gone up since that time.
    He added that fuel costs have not just hit Plant School Transportation, but that funding is similar for busing services throughout the state.
    “That's a problem for anyone who takes care of buses statewide,” Sandoval said. “I'd been hearing from them (Plant School Transportation) that they didn't have sufficient funding.”
    But he said learning of the long-standing bus company's closure still came as a shock.
    The cost for fuel wasn't the only reason the company said it is closing its doors.
    The letter also noted that the district has steadily lost students, which has led to a decrease in funding. The decline has been roughly 180 to 300 students a year for a number of years.
    The company also cited “chronic absenteeism; and a general attitude of not caring.” It also reportedly lost drivers to Wal-Mart when the store opened in March.
    With school starting Aug. 20, the district will need to find a way to get students to class.
    “We've got till then to come up with something,” Sandoval said.
   

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